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‘Twice as Contagious’ Delta Variant Emerged In India Less Than a Month After Pfizer Announced COVID-Related Monkey Research—Pfizer HQ’d in Mumbai

  • Undercover video released Wednesday by Project Veritas shows Pfizer executive Dr. Jordon Walker—a medical doctor who graduated from Yale and UT Southwestern—claiming that his company was exploring ways to “mutate” coronavirus via “directed evolution.”
  • Dr. Walker revealed Pfizer scientists were “optimizing” the virus’ mutation process by putting “the virus in monkeys” and worried about potential outbreaks.
  • Pfizer announced back in September 2020 that it was conducting COVID-19-related studies with macaque monkeys.
  • Less than a month later, the Delta variant of the virus was discovered in India, where Pfizer has been operating since 1950 (Mumbai).
  • The Delta variant is “twice as contagious” as initial COVID variants and more likely to “put infected people in the hospital.”
  • Delta was first discovered in Maharashtra, India, the state in which Mumbai is located.

A new video released by Project Veritas on Wednesday showed Pfizer Inc. executive Dr. Jordon Trishton Walker claiming that his company had been exploring ways to “mutate” the coronavirus via “directed evolution.” He revealed that Pfizer scientists had been “optimizing” the virus’ mutation process by putting “the virus in monkeys” and worried about potential outbreaks.

Dr. Walker graduated from Yale and the University of Texas Southwestern medical school, according to Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe.

“We can do these selected structure mutations to make [coronaviruses] more potent,” the Pfizer executive said. “There is research ongoing about that. I don’t know how that is going to work. There better not be any more outbreaks because Jesus Christ.”

Pfizer announced it was conducting COVID-19-related studies with macaque monkeys in a press release published on September 9, 2020. And the first case of Delta, a variant of SARS-CoV-2, was discovered in India—where Pfizer has been operating for over half a century—on October 5, 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), less than a month after Pfizer announced its COVID-related monkey research.

Pfizer has worked in India since 1950, its operations comprising “three manufacturing plants, two R&D centers and six regional centers for commercial operations and global support functions,” according to the company webpage. The pharmaceutical company represents “the fourth largest multinational pharmaceutical company in India.” Its headquarters are located in densely populated Mumbai, India’s largest city, on the country’s west coast.

The Delta variant was first discovered in Maharashtra, India, the state where Mumbai is located.

“B.1.617.2, a variant of Covid-19 is known as the Delta variant. It was first identified in October 2020 in India, and was primarily responsible for the second wave in the country, today accounting for over 80 percent of new Covid-19 cases,” said Dr. NK Arora, co-chair of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), according to The Hindustan Times. “It emerged in Maharashtra and traveled northwards along the western states of the country before entering the central and the eastern states.”

The Delta variant was determined to be “twice as contagious” as initial COVID variants and more likely to “put infected people in the hospital,” an outcome echoing what Pfizer’s Dr. Walker admitted about his company mutating and optimizing coronavirus to be “more potent.” Yale Medicine says Delta was “more than twice as contagious as previous variants” and that “studies have shown it to be more likely than the original virus to put infected people in the hospital.”

“Does this undercover video mean that Pfizer has been using macaque monkeys in directed man-made mutagenic experiments?” asked Dr. Richard Bartlett, a 30-year medical practitioner and former appointee to then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s Health Disparities Task Force. “I also think it’s interesting that Pfizer has been in India since 1950 and that the first significant COVID variant, the Delta variant, appeared in India.”

“Dr. Walker has been working on the inside at Pfizer for a long time. Do his statements connect the dots between rapidly appearing mutations and a pharmaceutical company that is not only conducting directed mutations research but also providing the solution of a vaccine?”

Since at least 2019, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has invested tens of millions of dollars in COVID-related research involving macaques.

American Faith Scores Spot on NY Times Square Billboard: 1500 Broadway

Ad expected to receive 340,000 views per day.

QUICK FACTS:
  • Conservative news organization American Faith secured a billboard advertisement in New York’s Times Square that went live June 1, 2022 at 6 am.
  • The billboard is located at the heart of the Theater District in Midtown Manhattan at the 1500 Broadway skyscraper, sitting just above the world-renowned New York Police Department. The skyscraper’s tenants include ABC Studios, Disney, NASDAQ, Starbucks, Essence Magazine, and the China Daily newspaper.
  • American Faith’s ad will run 2 weeks per month across June, July, and August at a rate of 100 times per day.
  • It is estimated that the ad will be viewed by 340,000 people per day.
AmericanFaith.com billboard ad in Times Square, New York
AmericanFaith.com billboard ad in Times Square, New York
AmericanFaith.com billboard ad in Times Square, New York
AmericanFaith.com billboard ad in Times Square, New York
AmericanFaith.com billboard ad in Times Square, New York
AmericanFaith.com billboard ad in Times Square, New York
WATCH THE BILLBOARD DISPLAY AMERICAN FAITH’S AD:
BACKGROUND:
  • American Faith, a non-profit national news media network, provides uncensored news reported from a traditional Judeo-Christian worldview.
  • Phil Hotsenpiller, Biblical prophecy expert and Senior Pastor of Influence Church in Anaheim Hills, California announced the launch of American Faith in a news release published on July 15, 2021.
  • American Faith enjoys 3 million monthly views and 80,000 daily subscribers.

‘We Believe in the Christian Civilizational Foundations of Europe’: Hungary’s Orbán

“We see a growing demand for church institutions,” said Orbán.

QUICK FACTS:
  • Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Monday warned that Europe and Hungary have entered an “era of dangers,” after taking his fifth oath as prime minister in parliament.
  • Orbán spotlighted the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the economy, as well as what he called the “cultural alienation [that] is growing between the western half of Europe and Hungary.”
  • Hungary’s Prime Minister said such cultural alienation between the two regions hs been brought about because his nation “believe[s] in the Christian civilizational foundations of Europe, and in the nation,” which other nations had “given up.”
  • “Everything that has happened since 2020 points in one direction: Europe and the Hungarian people in it have entered an age of danger. The decade began with the coronavirus epidemic and continued with the war. The sanctions from the war brought an economic downturn,” Orbán said. “The war and sanctions policy caused an energy crisis, and U.S. interest rate hikes brought an age of inflation.”
  • Orbán also highlighted the dangers of unmitigated immigration policy and its implications for the Christian population, saying, “All of this will bring the age of economic downturn, threatening epidemics may recur, migration may deepen and may intensify.” “Such is the program of the great European population exchange, the essence of which is to replace the missing Christian children with migrants,” Orbán went on to say. “Such an experiment is a program of gender madness and a liberal Europe that transcends nation-states and Christianity, and puts nothing in their place.”
ORBÁN SEES PATH TO SUCCESS:
  • The Hungarian Prime Minister was hopeful that Hungary could fend off Christianity’s decline by supporting churches. “It is a difficult task, but we can succeed. We can succeed because the Hungarians were carved out of hard wood, so we stubbornly resist the decline,” he said.
  • “We will provide the conditions for preaching the gospel. We see a growing demand for church institutions, and helping them will be important,” stated Orbán.
  • “Hungarians across the border can count on us, we will continue our work of national unification.”
ORBÁN SWIPES AT GEORGE SOROS:

“I shall strive to be worthy of this enormous trust, which is unprecedented in the whole of Europe,” said Orbán. “It is food for thought that we have won by the largest margin ever, at a time when all human reasoning suggested that we were also competing on the most difficult terrain. The Hungarian left and their international allies, politicians, financiers and the media all rallied against us. Let us make it clear: Brussels and George Soros were also playing to ensure our downfall. They threatened us however they could. No wonder this victory fills us with electrifying energy. My friends, there is nothing so exhilarating as to be shot at without result. We have won four times in a row, despite financial crises, a global pandemic, floods of migrants, and even a war that was – and is – threatening our country. Such a winning streak is unusual in Europe, and even in the wider Western world; and the scale of the victory is unprecedented.”

BACKGROUND:
  • Orbán was reelected as premier in the 199-seat assembly by 133 votes to 27 against.
  • The prime minister has been pursuing close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he would not support banning his country’s oil imports from Russia as the European Union has proposed. While speaking on state radio on May 6, Orbán said that such an embargo would drop an “atomic bomb” on Hungary’s economy.

Ep. 14 THE NEW WORLD ORDER

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In this episode of the Battle Ground podcast, Pastor Phil Hotsenpiller speaks on the new world order. He explains how its practices are tied to the Biden administration, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and socialism. He discusses America’s move toward digital currency and the declining value of the dollar and how it is tied to China’s success. Hotsenpiller shows proof of Biden’s move toward keeping China in power and the “need” for everyone to have “a little bit” of money. In Revelation, there is talk of these actions coming to fruition. Hotsenpiller explains how this could be tied to the mark of the beast. So listeners, keep your eyes peeled.

Levi Strauss Exec Says She Was Forced Out Over Her Views on COVID School Closures

Levi’s brand president said she was let go from the company over her stance on school closures due to COVID.

QUICK FACTS:
  • Longtime Levi Strauss & Co brand president Jennifer Sey wrote a post Monday explaining how the company forced her to leave over her opinions on COVID restrictions in schools.
  • “Early on in the pandemic, I publicly questioned whether schools had to be shut down,” Sey said. “This didn’t seem at all controversial to me. I felt — and still do — that the draconian policies would cause the most harm to those least at risk, and the burden would fall heaviest on disadvantaged kids in public schools, who need the safety and routine of school the most.”
  • Sey explained that the head of corporate communications called her in the Summer of 2020, urging her to stop speaking publicly and sharing her own personal opinions.
  • In recent weeks, Sey got the news from Levi’s CEO Charles Bergh that it was “untenable” for her to continue working for the popular clothing company, offering her a $1 million severance package, Fox Business reported.
SEY ON LEVI STRAUSS TODAY:

“I love Levi’s and its place in the American heritage as a purveyor of sturdy pants for hardworking, daring people who moved West and dreamed of gold buried in the dirt,” she said. “But the corporation doesn’t believe in that now. It’s trapped trying to please the mob — and silencing any dissent within the organization.”

BACKGROUND:
  • While stock prices doubled under her leadership, Sey was told she would not become the next CEO unless she stopped talking publicly, and shortly after, left the company without accepting the severance.
  • “In the end, no one stood with me. Not one person publicly said they agreed with me, or even that they didn’t agree with me, but supported my right to say what I believe anyway,” Sey said.
  • The culture of Levi’s has made it impossible for employees to have a voice without getting terminated, according to the former president.
  • “I like to think that many of my now-former colleagues know that this is wrong. I like to think that they stayed silent because they feared losing their standing at work or incurring the wrath of the mob,” Sey stated. “I hope, in time, they’ll acknowledge as much.”

Fmr. Ambassador: China Using One Belt One Road Initiative In Africa To Spread Authoritarianism Globally

A top diplomat under President Trump has sounded the alarm on China’s pursuit for global dominance. On Friday, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Freedom Sam Brownback warned China is using its One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative in Africa to leverage its economic power in order to phase America out of the international stage. Brownback added U.S. lawmakers need to move fast to secure America’s position as top superpower.

China began pumping billions of dollars into Africa’s infrastructure beginning as early as the year 2000, before the Chinese Communist Party head, Xi Jingping, officially announced the initiative in 2013. The program aimed to bolster China’s relationships with several countries including Ethiopia, South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda and Kenya.

Additionally, the CCP’s funds helped develop infrastructure projects such as transportation networks, port facilities and telecommunications infrastructure.

“They want that model of authoritarian control to expand around the world and they’re playing big in Africa. That hurts us if you get more countries going to this authoritarian model,” said Brownback. “Plus, there’s just the raw resource issue that China has been after for decades now in Africa, tying up these raw resources for their global economic dominance that they seek.”

BEIJING, CHINA - APRIL 27: Chinese President Xi Jinping gives a speech at a press conference after the Belt and Road Forum at the China National Convention Center at the Yanqi Lake venue on April 27, 2019 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Wang Zhao - Pool/Getty Images)

Chinese leaders touted the One Belt One Road initiative as a path towards establishing strong economic partnerships. However, Brownback argued China aims to exploit the region’s natural resources and lay down its authoritarian roots in the region, hoping to spread its influence throughout the world.

Experts have suggested the initiative has lost traction amid commodity prices plaguing African countries’ economies before the pandemic, and the near total halt of economic activity once COVID-19 struck their communities. Researchers say this is hindering African leaders’ abilities to pay off their debts to China.

Studies have predicted this could buy time for other superpowers to undermine China’s influence. Brownback stressed America needs to take steps to challenge China’s role in the region and promote religious, economic and personal freedom in Africa.

In the meantime, the former ambassador said he believes the American public will welcome this approach, as long as policy makers promote these ideals without acting as state builders.

Calling Natural Law ‘White Nationalism’ Is Racist, Period

Yale philosophy professor Jason Stanley either doesn’t know what natural law is or he’s espousing fundamentally racist ideas. There’s no middle ground.

A little dust-up on Twitter this week revealed something important about the ongoing debate over critical race theory and public education, and also the state of elite academia — namely, that much of what the left calls “anti-racism” is actually just regular old racism, shoddily repackaged.

Here’s what happened. An innocuous comment from Washington Examiner columnist Tim Carney, suggesting we need to teach natural law in public schools, prompted Matthew J. Peterson to reply that it’s not enough to ban critical race theory, we need to replace it with natural law. This in turn inspired Yale University philosophy professor Jason Stanley to aver (in a since-deleted tweet) that natural law is “a dogwhistle to white Christian Nationalism.”

Boy, that escalated quickly. And it didn’t stop there. The back-and-forth unleashed a string of outraged tweets about natural law, mostly from people who don’t seem to know what natural law is, confusing it for social Darwinism or some such. Stanley got some pushback for his gross mischaracterization of natural law and then complained, disingenuously, about “intentional misrepresentation” (later claiming his tweet was meant to be sarcastic) before logging off Twitter, saying, “This was a failure.”

Indeed it was, but the failure is deeper than professor Stanley is likely to admit. He wrote a book about fascism and teaches in the philosophy department of an Ivy League university, so he should know that natural law has nothing to do with white Christian nationalism. He should also know that suggesting, as Peterson did, that an education grounded in natural law is infinitely superior to one grounded is critical race theory isn’t some kind of racist dogwhistle.

Indeed, he should know that natural law stands in stark opposition to racism of any kind, because it posits that all human beings, regardless of their race or any other characteristic, have inherent rights, which can be discovered and applied through reason. Those rights arise from the fact of their humanity, not their race or religion.

As such, natural law is an antidote to racism and its various ideological offspring like white nationalism, not a cause of it. As Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas once said, “Those who deny natural law cannot get me out of slavery.”

Moreover, as a Yale philosophy professor Stanley should also know that natural law came largely from Aristotle, was later developed by Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas, and eventually became the basis for things like social contract theory, the rule of law, and representative government, culminating in our Declaration of Independence. He might even know that one of the foremost proponents of natural law today is Francis Arinze, a Nigerian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. If natural law has anything to do with white Christian nationalism, no one has apparently told Cardinal Arinze.

Maybe Stanley does know all this, but thinks only Ivy League professors like himself are smart enough to talk about natural law. If anyone else, especially a conservative, invokes it, it could only be to incite the unwashed masses with a racist dogwhistle. Surely, the only thing common folk must know about natural law is that it has something to do with western civilization, and is therefore racist.

Or maybe Stanley rejects the claims of natural law. Maybe he thinks that a philosophy or a system of laws and governance based on the notion that all people are created equal and are endowed by their creator with unalienable rights is in fact a great evil, and that people should be treated differently based on their race or sex or some other characteristic.

Believing all that would be a problem for Stanley because it’s racist — not opaquely or subtly, but straightforwardly so. I don’t know whether Stanley is, in his heart of hearts, a racist. Probably not. But his tweets about natural law, and the sentiments behind them, unequivocally are.

Full Story

FBI Asks Americans To Spy on Family, Friends to Prevent ‘Extremism’

The FBI is encouraging Americans to look for indications of “homegrown violent extremism” in their own families and report them.

The FBI is turning its monitoring capabilities on ordinary Americans, prompting the demand for snitches.

“Family members and peers are often best positioned to witness signs of mobilization to violence,” reads a tweet posted on Sunday from the FBI. In order to help prevent “homegrown violent extremism,” the agency advises Americans “to learn how to spot suspicious behaviors and report them to the FBI” by visiting its website.

A link provided by the FBI brings users to a PDF document titled, “Homegrown Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators.” The document outlines a list of 46 “observable behaviors” that could help determine whether friends or family members “are preparing to engage in violent extremist activities.”

The top three indicators listed are:

  • “Preparing and disseminating a martyrdom video/statement, last will”
  • “Seeking religious or political justification for a planned violent act”
  • “Attempting to mobilize others to violence, especially family members and peers.”

Moreover, the document at one point seems to blur the line between a citizen’s “constitutionally protected rights” and “mobilizing to violence.”

“Law enforcement action should not be taken solely based on the exercise of constitutionally protected rights, or on the apparent or actual race, ethnicity, national origin or religion of the subject, or on any combination of these factors. Individuals are encouraged to contact law enforcement if, based on these indicators and the situational context, they suspect an individual is mobilizing to violence,” the document reads.

The Orwellian nature of the FBI document prompted Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) to tweet that “In both Cuba & China, they also ask children to spy on their parents….”

As pointed out by RT News, the indicators and imagery used in the document suggest that its focus is to combat radical Islamic terrorism. But the FBI, along with the rest of the U.S. security apparatus, has turned its surveillance powers on specifically white, conservative America in recent months.

For example, since the unrest on Capitol Hill in January, FBI Director Christopher Wray has testified before Congress that the anti-government sentiment responsible for the trouble had been “metastasizing” in the U.S. for years. Wray insisted that “the problem of domestic terrorism … is not going away anytime soon.” And former Assistant Director Frank Figliuzzi last month even called for the arrest of high-level Republicans in order to “really tackle terrorism, this time domestically.”

Moreover, Joe Biden has connected the Capitol mob to “white supremacism,” which he called “the most lethal terrorist threat to our homeland today” during his first speech to Congress in April. Against this supposed “threat,” the Department of Justice has requested new powers of prosecution, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has asserted that right-wingers and conservatives, “inspired by foreign terrorist groups” and “emboldened by the breach of the U.S. Capitol Building,” are “plotting attacks against government facilities” and “threatening violence against critical infrastructure.”

Other indicators of extremism listed on the FBI document include: encouraging or advocating violence toward individuals, military or government officials, law enforcement, or civilian targets; unusual purchase of military-style tactical equipment other than weapons (such as personal protective equipment, body armor); dehumanizing people who are not in the identity group; and researching or discussing ways to evade law enforcement and lying to law enforcement officers/obstructing investigations.

Former Acting Director of National Intelligence for the Trump administration Richard Grenell also took to Twitter to ask “Why hasn’t the @fbi made more progress finding the BLM rioters from last summer?”

And others pointed out that real “homegrown” extremists such as those belonging to Antifa or preaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) are being ignored:

The FBI’s tweet comes after Facebook encouraged similarly draconian spy tactics on its platform.

Jon Fleetwood is Managing Editor for American Faith.

Pentagon Warns of ‘Increased Potential’ for Nuclear War: ‘An Unprecedented Range and Mix of Threats’

Newly released report from the U.S. Department of Defense says Russia and China’s newly expanded nuclear weapons arsenals and tactics have “increased potential for regional conflicts involving nuclear-armed adversaries in several parts of the world and the potential for adversary nuclear escalation in crisis or conflict.”

The Pentagon released a 67-page report titled “Joint Nuclear Operations.” It offers “fundamental principles and guidance to plan, execute, and assess nuclear operations.”

Download the “Joint Nuclear Operations” document here:Download
Cover of “Joint Nuclear Operations”

The report was released to the Federation of American Scientists last week in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, though it was originally completed in April 2020.

The introduction to the first chapter asserts that—at a time when the U.S. is working to “reduce [its own] number and salience of nuclear weapons”—China and Russia specifically have become more aggressive in developing their nuclear weapons capabilities.

“They have added new types of nuclear capabilities to their arsenal, increased the salience of nuclear forces in their strategies and plans, and engaged in increasingly aggressive behavior,” the report says. “There now exists an unprecedented range and mix of threats, including major conventional, chemical, biological, nuclear, space, and cyber threats and violent non-state actors.”

The report goes on to emphasize how our “adversar[ies]” show no signs of cutting back development of their nuclear capabilities.

“[N]o potential adversary has reduced either the role of nuclear weapons in its national security strategy or the number of nuclear weapons it fields. Rather, they have moved decidedly in the opposite direction,” the report warns.

“As a result,” it continues, “there is an increased potential for regional conflicts involving nuclear-armed adversaries in several parts of the world and the potential for adversary nuclear escalation in crisis or conflict.”

The document, prepared by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, goes on to list specific technologies and policies being pursued by Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, for example, which it maintains are pressing toward an “increased potential” for nuclear conflict to occur. It states:

In addition to modernizing ” legacy” Soviet nuclear systems, Russia is developing and employing new nuclear warheads and launchers. It is also developing three new intercontinental-range nuclear weapon systems; a hypersonic glide vehicle; a nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered ground-launched cruise missile; and a nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered, undersea autonomous torpedo.

…

China has developed a new road-mobile, strategic, intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM); a new multi-warhead version of its DF-5 silo-based ICBM; and its most advanced ballistic missile submarine armed with new submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). It has also announced development of a new nuclear-capable strategic bomber, giving China a nuclear triad.

…

In the past few years, North Korea has dramatically increased its missile flight testing, most recently including the testing of intercontinental-range missiles capable of reaching the US homeland.

…

Iran retains the technological capability and much of the capacity necessary to develop a nuclear weapon within one year of a decision to do so. Iran’s development of increasingly long-range ballistic missile capabilities, and its aggressive strategy and activities to destabilize neighboring governments, raises questions about its long-term commitment to forgoing nuclear weapons capability.

American Faith has reported on remarks from Japan’s number two defense official warning about China and Russia’s apparent plans to launch a “Pearl Harbor” style attack against the U.S., as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s increasingly violent rhetoric.

Jon Fleetwood is Managing Editor for American Faith.

Voddie Baucham Discusses How Christians Should Deal With CRT In The Context Of Faith

Voddie Baucham discussed his book “Fault Lines” with Shaun Tabatt at the 2021 NRB in Dallas for the Shaun Tabatt Show, an interview program that links Christians to thinkers worldwide.

Baucham spoke on the roots of critical theory and how Christians may productively participate in the debate.

Two of Baucham’s major arguments in his book were the notion that disadvantaged minorities have privileged access to the truth that other people don’t; and the premise that white people are incapable of righteous actions in the area of race unless their interests coincide with those of people who are different races than themselves.

For Christians who are wondering how they might be a part of these discussions in a manner that is constructive, Baucham referred to a principle in 2 Corinthians 10:4 that says that arguments and lofty views made against the knowledge of God should be destroyed.

“We’ve got to understand what these things are. We got to identify them, and we’ve got to destroy them.,” he said. “The second thing is we take every thought captive to obey Christ, so our thoughts about race, our thoughts about ethnicity, our thoughts about sexuality, our thoughts about reconciliation, thoughts about history, all of those things have to be taken captive to obey Christ.”

He went on to add that one thing he tries to do is to give individuals the tools they need to understand, evaluate and discuss ideas intelligently. He said that Christians must educate themselves while adhering to the “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” principle.

“Ultimately we have to recognize that these things are at war with us, and we’ve got to fight,” he warned of the scandals and contentious topics that have engulfed the country.

The Gospel and CRT

With so many famous church leaders jumping on the race bandwagon, Baucham wonders when the gospel became inadequate in dealing with certain cultural issues. He contends that it’s blasphemy to assume that the Scriptures and the Gospel are insufficient, and that people need critical race theory in order to understand rationally the relationships between groups of people.

The author of the “Fault Lines” emphasized that the CRT works like a religion because of the worldview they’re promoting as an answer to key issues about identity that deviate from the Christian narrative of “creation,” “fall,” “redemption,” and “consummation.”

As an example, Baucham cited the United States as a country where the “oppressor-oppressed” paradigm has been emphasized. He also said that CRT has its own “cosmology, saints, martyrs, and priesthood,” which he referred to as “ethnic gnosticism.”

Baucham continued by stating that he has come across people who frame the discussion in terms of a “balanced view,” which he defined as incorporating at the very least the premise of critical race theory while using the word gospel. He disputed this and said that he finds it amusing that those, like himself and Owen, who approach the issue from a biblical standpoint are assumed to be unbalanced from a people’s standpoint.

Listen to Voddie Baucham and Shaun Tabatt’s discussion below.

Communism Survivor Speaks Out Against Critical Race Theory

Lindell Says Trump ‘Will Be Back’ In The White House By ‘August’: MyPillow CEO’s New Election Fraud Evidence

“Things are going great. I couldn’t be happier—the way things are going in our country right now,” said Lindell.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell told Alex Jones in an interview this week that he has enough proof of election fraud having taken place during the 2020 U.S. presidential election to put Donald Trump “back” in office.

“Like I said before: Our President will be back. I said August—I could be off by a month or two,” Lindell told Jones.

Jones suggested that Joe Biden is a “Chinese agent” and that Trump is “our real President” before praising Lindell for “quarterbacking the resistance” and pointing to cryptic words recently spoken by Trump.

“I believe in you,” Jones told Lindell, “And I know you’ve been behind the scenes. I’ve talked to a lot of folks you’ve been working with.” Jones added that Trump himself believes the White House will be his again “sooner than you think.” “[Trump] believes when the evidence comes out, there’s a strategy,” said Jones.

Lindell said the “strategy” is to take his evidence to the Supreme Court, which according to Lindell will vote unanimously “9-0” to reverse the 2020 election result.

“When the Supreme Court looks at this, it’s not subjective evidence. So it’s going to be 9-0. Not 8-1, 7-2. It has to be 9-0 because this isn’t subjective evidence. So they’re going to pull [the election] down,” lindell said to Jones.

Earlier this week, American Faith covered Mike Lindell’s interview with a cybersecurity expert who explained how “PCAP” computer data received by Lindell on Jan 9 allegedly proves that China “attack[ed] our country” by flipping millions of votes from Biden to Trump.

Watch Lindell’s full interview with Jones:

Jon Fleetwood is Managing Editor for American Faith.

Trump ‘Insurrection’ Myth Debunked by Bipartisan Senate Committee Review

A months-long, bipartisan Senate investigation report debunks the Jan 6 “insurrection” myth and Donald Trump’s connection to it.

“Whatever legal or constitutional test you apply, Trump incited the violent Capitol attack,” proclaimed a Feb 2021 USA Today headline. Its byline: “What’s at stake is a president’s freedom to incite a violent attack on his own government.”

The month prior, and five days after the Jan. 6 Capitol unrest, a Washington Post opinion piece rested blame for the “invasion” of the United States Capitol Building squarely on the shoulders of President Trump. “As I watched the despicable display by those who invaded the Capitol at the behest of the president, I was moved to tears and consumed with anger,” lamented the WaPo author. “I strongly urge Congress to impeach, convict and remove the president from office.”

Not to be outdone in the use of anti-Trump histrionics, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused the 45th President of being “an accessory” to murder. “The crime, in some cases [regarding the Capitol unrest], was murder,” Pelosi stated in an interview with MSNBC. “This president is an accessory to that crime because he instigated that insurrection that caused those deaths and this destruction.”

Watch Pelosi’s interview:

But a new Senate report has been compiled by the Senate Homeland Security and Rules committee. The 99-page document—titled Examining the U.S. Capitol Attack: A Review of the Security, Planning, and Response Failures on January 6—was spearheaded equally by Democrats and Republicans: U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Rules and Administration.

Here’s the full report.

The report was thorough. In its own words, it focused on “the security, planning, and response failures related to the violent and unprecedented attack on January 6th” and included “a series of recommendations for the Capitol Police Board, United States Capitol Police (USCP), federal intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense (DOD), and other Capital region law enforcement agencies.” If anything could show that President Trump “incited an insurrection,” it’s this Senate investigation.

But did the report reveal that President Donald Trump “incited the violent Capitol attack”? Or that he led “a violent attack on his own government”? That an “invasion” occurred “at the behest of the president”? Or that Trump was “an accessory” to murder?

Not even a little bit.

To begin with, even far-left CNN admits the Senate report fully “omits Trump’s role” on Jan 6. In other words, CNN admits the report hardly even mentions Trump, let alone connect him to any violence or instigation thereof.

You can practically see the big red vein popping out of these CNN writers’ collective forehead (the article was co-authored). Look:

“There are also several glaring omissions in the report including any examination of Donald Trump’s role in the riots,” moans CNN, “raising questions about whether lawmakers, in their quest for bipartisanship, exposed the limits of a Congress divided and unable to agree on certain truths, particularly those related to the former President’s actions.”

Not only does CNN admit the Senate reported no malfesance on the part of President Trump, but they also acknowledge the exhaustive nature of the Senate’s investigation. They say the Senate analysis “marks the most comprehensive government report” regarding security failures leading up to Jan 6. See here:

“Congressional investigators pored through ‘thousands of documents,'” tallies CNN, “received written statements from 50 police officers who defended the Capitol, and got testimony from a wide array of current and former officials who played a role in the security preparations and response. … [T]he evidence and interviews were gathered over months from bipartisan staff and members on two committees.”

Thousands of documents. Written statements. Official testimony. Gathered for months. By Republicans and Democrats. And none of it pushes the myth that President Trump “incited an insurrection.”

Most importantly, however, and as CNN also admits, the language of the Senate report completely excludes the word “insurrection” outside of witness quotes and footnotes, a fact both Democrat committee members as well as their Republican counterparts were pleased with. “The language that was chosen was purposeful—and represents the consensus of the four members and their respective staffs,” a Senate committee aide said, according to CNN. “We did our very best to stick to the facts as we understood them and leave characterizations in quotes where there were characterizations.”

There was no “insurrection.” Trump didn’t “incite” anything. So says the official Senate report compiled by the Senate Homeland Security and Rules committee.

In fact, we all know that in reality, President Trump instructed the crowd not to do anything violent, but to, in his words, “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.” Here’s the video evidence:

And after learning about the unrest, President Trump immediately also instructed the crowd to “go home now,” adding “We have to have peace. We have to have law and order”:

If anyone’s guilty of inciting violence, it ain’t Trump. It’s the Left:

Jon Fleetwood is Managing Editor for American Faith.

Read “An Invented Insurrection” by Human Events; “DOJ Charges BLM Supporter Who Allegedly Stormed Capitol, Instigated Trump Supporters” by The Western Journal;

COVID ‘Was Developed In a Lab’: World-Renowned Scientist and Berkeley Prof

MIT postdoctoral fellow with over 10,000 citations and an Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of California Berkeley say the hypothesis that COVID was engineered in a laboratory is “firmly based in science.”

The “rare and unnatural combination” genetic sequence found in the COVID-19 virus provides “damning” evidence that “the leading theory for the origin of the coronavirus must be laboratory escape,” according to Dr. Steven Quay and Professor Richard Muller.

Steven Quay (MD, PhD)—trained as a postdoctoral fellow in the Chemistry Department at MIT (Massachusettes Institute of Technology)—has over 360 published contributions to medicine and has been cited over 10,000 times, placing him in the top 1% of scientists worldwide, according to PR Newswire. He holds 87 US patents and has invented seven FDA-approved pharmaceuticals which have helped over 80 million people.

Richard A. Muller (PhD) is an emeritus professor of physics at the University of California Berkeley and a former senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Muller has publications in Scientific American, Physics Today, Nature, and Science.

These scientists revealed in a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) publication that the COVID-19 virus has a “genetic footprint” that has “never been observed in a natural coronavirus.”

“In fact, in the entire class of coronaviruses that includes CoV-2, the CGG-CGG combination has never been found naturally. That means the common method of viruses picking up new skills, called recombination, cannot operate here. A virus simply cannot pick up a sequence from another virus if that sequence isn’t present in any other virus,” state Quay and Muller.

Screenshot from “Is considering a genetic-manipulation origin for SARS-CoV-2 a conspiracy theory that must be censored?” by Rossana Segreto (PhD) at the University of Innsbruck Institute of Microbiology taken June 7, 2021

This “double CGG” is suppressed naturally but common in laboratory work. In fact, Quay and Muller explain that the double CGG sequence is the “sequence of choice” in lab work because it’s “readily available and convenient, and scientists have a great deal of experience inserting it.” Moreover, the double CGG creates a useful “beacon” allowing scientists to “track” the insertion in the lab.

“Now the damning fact. It was this exact sequence that appears in CoV-2. Proponents of zoonotic origin must explain why the novel coronavirus, when it mutated or recombined, happened to pick its least favorite combination, the double CGG. Why did it replicate the choice the lab’s gain-of-function researchers would have made?” ask the doctors.

The doctors critique a natural, or, zoonotic origin for COVID as difficult to believe because it is unlikely that random mutations would result in such sequencing.

“Yes, it could have happened randomly, through mutations. But do you believe that? At the minimum, this fact—that the coronavirus, with all its random possibilities, took the rare and unnatural combination used by human researchers—implies that the leading theory for the origin of the coronavirus must be laboratory escape,” they say.

But Quay and Muller claim there is “additional scientific evidence that points to CoV-2’s gain-of-function origin,” the most compelling of which is the “dramatic differences in the genetic diversity of CoV-2, compared with the coronaviruses responsible for SARS and MERS.”

“Both of those were confirmed to have a natural origin; the viruses evolved rapidly as they spread through the human population, until the most contagious forms dominated. Covid-19 didn’t work that way. It appeared in humans already adapted into an extremely contagious version. No serious viral ‘improvement’ took place until a minor variation occurred many months later in England,” the scientists say.

“Such early optimization is unprecedented, and it suggests a long period of adaptation that predated its public spread. Science knows of only one way that could be achieved: simulated natural evolution, growing the virus on human cells until the optimum is achieved. That is precisely what is done in gain-of-function research,” they add.

Doctors Quay and Muller conclude the WSJ piece by reiterating that the double CGG sequence is “strong evidence of gene splicing” and that the absence of COVID’s diversity “suggests gain-of-function acceleration.”

“The scientific evidence points to the conclusion that the virus was developed in a laboratory.”

Although Dr. Anthony Fauci publicly rejected the lab origin hypothesis, his email recently obtained via FOIA (Freedom of Information) request reveal that he was not only aware of the possibility of a man-made origin of COVID but also working behind the scenes to discredit the theory because the U.S. financed some of the lab’s research at Fauci’s behest.

President Donald Trump said he’d seen evidence that gave him a “high degree of confidence” the novel coronavirus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China as early as April of 2020.

Jon Fleetwood is Managing Editor for American Faith.

American Red Cross Website Says Vaccinated People ‘Cannot Donate Convalescent Plasma’

The American Red Cross is insisting that individuals who have received the COVID-19 jab “are not able to donate convalescent plasma.”

The Red Cross’ own website claims that while the organization is “working as quickly as possible to evaluate this change,” it is not accepting blood donations from certain vaccinated people at this time.

On the site, one headline asks the question, “Can I donate COVID-19 convalescent plasma if I have received the vaccination?” Here’s their answer:

“At this time individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine are not able to donate convalescent plasma with the Red Cross. The Red Cross is working as quickly as possible to evaluate this change – as it may involve complex system updates. Please know, the Red Cross is committed to building a readily available inventory of convalescent plasma to ensure patients battling COVID-19 have all treatment options available to them.”

Here’s the screenshot from redcrossblood.org:

Screenshot from redcorssblood.org taken on May 21, 2021.

On another page, redcrossblood.org says again, “Individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine are not able to donate convalescent plasma with the Red Cross.”

Screenshot from redcrassblood.org taken on May 21, 2021.

The Mayo Clinic—recognized as the No. 1 hospital overall and top-ranked hospitals in twelve specialties by U.S. News & World Report—explains what convalescent plasma is:

“Convalescent plasma therapy uses blood from people who’ve recovered from an illness to help others recover.”

In other words, blood is considered “convalescent” if it comes from an individual who contracted an illness but who has recovered from that illness. As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states, “Convalescent refers to anyone recovering from a disease.”

The Mayo Clinic goes on to explain that “Blood donated by people who’ve recovered from COVID-19 has antibodies to the virus that causes it,” adding that “[t]he donated blood is processed to remove blood cells, leaving behind liquid (plasma) and antibodies. These can be given to people with COVID-19 to boost their ability to fight the virus.”

Therefore, the Red Cross’ statement that “individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine are not able to donate convalescent plasma” does not mean that their organization considers all blood from anyone who has been vaccinated to be tainted (as some have claimed). But it does mean that the Red Cross’ website confirms that a certain group of individuals cannot donate their blood specifically because they’ve received the COVID “vaccine.”

A recent Reuters report confirms this:

“The American Red Cross’ current policy is to only accept convalescent plasma donations from people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have not had the vaccine. Although, if plasma donated by people vaccinated against COVID-19 has a high-level of COVID-19 antibodies it may be used as convalescent plasma.”

A March publication from The Washington Post also confirms this:

“Those who have been vaccinated can also donate platelets and AB Elite plasma to the Red Cross, but the organization is not accepting convalescent plasma from people who have taken a vaccine.”

But why is the American Red Cross refusing convalescent blood plasma from these vaccinated individuals?

The Red Cross’ “Merrill” told Lead Stories via telephone on April 12 of this year that “The FDA has outlined a very complicated qualification process. It would require the Red Cross to make a series of updates to our system. We are trying to evaluate the feasibility of implementing it, how long it would take to update it as well as the hospital demand for convalescent plasma.”

Lead Stories linked to an FDA webpage, which indicates that such convalescent plasma is not “approved.”

“Because convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19 has not yet been approved for use by FDA, it is regulated as an investigational product,” reads the FDA webpage.

But the FDA page linked by Lead Stories does not indicate why it is that specifically vaccinated, COVID-recovered individuals cannot donate blood. In fact, the word ‘vaccine’ only appears one (1) time in the over 1,500-word article and only in reference to how “investigational convalescent plasma is collected,” not why such vaccinated individuals cannot donate their blood plasma.

It is at this time unclear why the American Red Cross and FDA are refusing convalescent blood plasma donations from these COVID-recovered, vaccinated individuals.

Jon Fleetwood is Managing Editor for American Faith.

‘Do whatever you want’: Software to manipulate totals found on voting machines

Trump: ‘This will prove true in numerous other states’

A lawyer fighting an election-fraud case in Antrim County, Michigan, has revealed that the voting machines there contained a software program that could have been used to manipulate vote totals.

In fact, lawyer Matthew DePerno said in a podcast interview that with the MySQL program installed on the machines, and them all being linked, someone with access could “do whatever you want.”

DePerno, just a day earlier confirmed in a court hearing that there were 1,061 “phantom votes” in the county during the 2020 presidential election, because while a recount of ballots tallied 15,962, the Michigan secretary of state’s database showed only 14,901 votes were cast.

His latest concerns were raised during an interview with JD Rucker at the NOQ Report.

Rucker said the bombshell that DePerno delivered was that all of the voting machines were connected to each other through an intranet, that itself was not connected to the internet. However, he said a laptop computer with access to the intranet and access to the internet was left on during the Election Night counting.

Full Story

As Biden Pushes Founders’ America to the Brink, Americans Must ‘Revisit the Original Plan’: Gen. Flynn

An article written by former United States Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn.

James Madison, hailed as the father of our Constitution, is probably turning over in his grave given the shredding of our God-given constitutional values and principles upon which we were founded.

Madison recognized that since concentrating power leads to tyranny, dividing government power was essential for the preservation of liberty. He will never be accused of being short-sighted about the threats government would pose to the people.

Madison and others set out deliberately to design a form of government that would limit abuses and withstand the test of time. America now faces that test, and the central question that has emerged is: Will we pass the test, or will we fall into the abyss of history as other nation-states have done?

Along with other framers of our nation’s Constitution, Madison argued for dividing federal power among the three branches of our government — legislative, executive, and judicial. These should be studied and clearly understood by every American schoolchild from an early age, but to our nation’s and our children’s detriment, they are not.

And what is even less understood is why the Founders adopted a structure that they knew would result in conflict among the branches. In truth, the constitutional structure was designed not to enhance the efficiency of the government but to impede the exercise of raw governmental power and to protect the liberty of the people.

Full Story

Google, Soros, & Gates-Fund Media Outlet ‘Project Syndicate’ Publishes Op-Eds For China’s State Media

Project Syndicate – a media outlet that counts funding and written contribution from George Soros, Bill Gates, the United Nations, and Google – is engaged in “media partnership” deals with several Chinese state-run media outlets, The National Pulse can today reveal. 

The globalist propaganda outlet – founded in 1995 – has also been lauded by the Chinese Communist Party’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with its Twitter account praising the outlet’s content defending genocide in Xinjiang as “objective and informative.”

Project Syndicate published op-eds and analysis from “prominent political leaders, policymakers, scholars, business leaders, and civic activists” and partners with non-western media outlets to amplify their spread.

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Apple tells GOP lawmakers Parler is approved to come back to its app store

‘Huge win for free speech’

Apple will allow Parler, the pro-free speech alternative social media app favored by conservatives and Trump supporters, back on to its iOS app store, the tech giant told Republican lawmakers Monday.

Parler was kicked off the iOS Store in the days following the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol after Apple accused the company of failing to moderate violent content on its platform. Until now, Parler users have been unable to download the app on iOS devices. Apple had said Parler would not be allowed back in its store until the company made changes to comply with the App Store Review guidelines.

“There is no place for hateful, racist, discriminatory content on the App Store,” Apple reportedly told Parler last month.

But in a letter responding to an inquiry from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) about Apple’s actions toward Parler, Apple Senior Director of Government Affairs for the Americas Timothy Powderly said his company has been “engaged in substantial conversation” with Parler about bringing the app into compliance with its guidelines.

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YouTube To Remove ‘Dislike’ Feature As Biden WH Content Continues To See Likes Massively Trail Dislikes

As President Biden’s White House YouTube channel continues to see videos’ “dislikes” massively trump “likes,” the video platform announced it is testing a new design that obscures a public dislike count.

The move was announced via Twitter on March 30th, with YouTube explaining “in response to creator feedback around well-being and targeted dislike campaigns, we’re testing a few new designs that don’t show the public dislike count.”

As a result, only the accounts publishing videos will be able to see the dislike to like ratio.

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Census Data Confirms Illegal Aliens Do Access Welfare Despite Democrat Denials

(Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

As the government shutdown continues, Democrats and establishment media outlets are insisting that illegal aliens cannot receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits. Yet, U.S. Census Bureau data analyzed by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) shows otherwise — revealing that illegal immigrants do sometimes directly secure welfare, and far more often, indirectly access benefits through household members.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) recently claimed, “Federal law prohibits the use of Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Affordable Care Act to provide health insurance in any way, shape, or form to undocumented immigrants. Period. Full stop.” CNN anchors and other outlets have repeated that line, calling GOP warnings about taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants “false.”

However, Census data paints a different picture. CIS researchers reviewed the Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and found that illegal immigrant households do receive welfare at significant rates. According to CIS’s Jason Richwine:

  • 59 percent of households headed by an illegal immigrant receive some form of welfare.
  • 20 percent of illegal alien household heads personally receive benefits such as cash assistance, food stamps, Medicaid, or housing vouchers.
  • In many cases, welfare access comes through U.S.-born children or other legal residents in the household, boosting participation rates far higher.
  • For example, only 1 percent of illegal immigrant heads reported receiving Medicaid, but with citizen children included, the total household Medicaid participation rate was 39 percent.

This finding undercuts Democrat talking points. While it is technically illegal for non-citizens to apply directly for most federal welfare programs, their U.S.-born children are eligible, and benefits flow into the household regardless.

The White House recently warned that Democrat demands to end the shutdown would secure nearly $200 billion in taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants. Republicans argue that protecting these loopholes is one reason Democrats are refusing to pass a clean funding bill.

The data confirms what many Americans already suspect: illegal immigrants and their households do, in fact, access welfare benefits at taxpayer expense — despite repeated denials from Democrat leaders and their media allies.

Immigration Judge Denies Asylum Bid for Salvadoran at Center of Political Battle

judge
(Wesley Tingey/Unsplash)

A U.S. immigration judge in Baltimore has rejected an asylum bid from Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national whose case has become a flashpoint in the nation’s ongoing immigration fight.

On Wednesday, the judge denied Abrego Garcia’s application to reopen his 2019 asylum case, though he has 30 days to appeal the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals. Abrego Garcia entered the United States illegally as a teenager and has lived in Maryland for years with his American wife and children.

His asylum request was originally denied in 2019 because he had been in the country more than a year before filing. However, the court at that time also ruled he could not be deported to El Salvador due to gang threats against his family. Despite that ruling, the Trump administration mistakenly deported him in March 2019. He was imprisoned in El Salvador before being returned to the U.S. in June following a Supreme Court intervention.

Upon his return, Abrego Garcia was charged with human smuggling tied to a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee. He now faces both criminal proceedings and deportation attempts. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has proposed sending him to third countries, including Uganda and later Eswatini, drawing criticism from his attorneys, who argue the government is targeting him for political reasons.

Abrego Garcia’s case has sparked partisan debate. Trump administration officials labeled him an MS-13 gang member, despite the absence of criminal convictions. His legal team has filed motions for a gag order, alleging prejudicial and false statements by federal officials could deny him a fair trial.

If he loses his appeal, Abrego Garcia could face deportation and potential return to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, where he claims to have endured torture. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has denied those allegations.

The Department of Homeland Security underscored its stance Wednesday, stating online: “This Salvadoran man is not going to be able to remain in our country.”

AP Retracts False Report on Taliban Internet Blackout as Outage Paralyzes Afghanistan

The Associated Press (AP) has retracted a story after incorrectly quoting a Taliban official on Afghanistan’s recent Internet blackout, admitting it mistakenly relied on an unverified WhatsApp message. The correction comes after nearly four days of near-total Internet and mobile disruption across Afghanistan, a move widely believed to have been ordered by Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada.

According to reports, Taliban agents were seen severing fiber-optic cables in several provinces in mid-September. By Sunday, Internet access had collapsed nationwide, crippling commerce, grounding flights at Kabul airport, and leaving humanitarian groups and U.N. teams unable to operate. Aid organizations warned that the blackout threatened “significant harm to the Afghan people” and risked worsening what is already one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The AP initially reported that the Taliban denied responsibility, citing a WhatsApp message claiming worn-out cables were being replaced. The outlet later retracted the story, clarifying the message was not sent by official Taliban channels but by an unaffiliated Afghan user with a similar name. The same statement appeared on X from a Taliban sympathizer.

When access partially returned on Wednesday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused the AP of fabricating claims, stating, “The Associated Press claim regarding the justification for blocking the Internet is incorrect and fabricated.” He insisted that official Taliban messages are issued only through recognized channels.

The Taliban later said cellphone services were “gradually being restored,” but gave no explanation for the shutdown. Residents in Kabul and other cities described widespread confusion during the outage and relief when service resumed. “It’s like Eid al-Adha; it’s like preparing to go for prayer. We are very happy from the bottom of our hearts,” one delivery driver told the BBC.

For many Afghans—particularly women banned from education and families separated by exile—the blackout was devastating, cutting off their only link to the outside world.

Gov. Abbott Launches Violent Crimes Task Force in Houston, Promises Expansion Statewide

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced the formation of a “violent crimes task force” in Harris County, a major initiative that brings together state, county, and local law enforcement to aggressively target repeat criminal offenders. The task force will begin operations in the Houston area and is expected to become a model for similar efforts across Texas.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Abbott described the initiative as “a Texas-size effort” aimed at restoring public safety in neighborhoods plagued by violent crime. “This is an effort to crack down on dangerous repeat offenders in the Houston area using the full might of our most elite law enforcement officers,” Abbott said.

The task force includes officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety and other law enforcement entities who will focus on high-crime areas through what officials describe as “saturated patrols.” DPS Director Freeman Martin emphasized that residents can expect to see a heavier uniform presence and increased patrol activity where repeat offenders are most active.

Abbott said the program may expand across the state, targeting urban, suburban, and rural areas alike. “We will look at every corner of the state to make sure we’re making it as safe as possible,” he stated.

While some Houston neighborhoods have experienced rising crime, others, like Greater Greenspoint, have seen significant declines. Abbott praised Houston Mayor John Whitmire for his efforts but stressed that more work needs to be done.

Abbott also highlighted the state’s reformed bail laws, passed in June, which limit eligibility for cashless bond. In November, Texans will vote on Proposition 3, which would further restrict bail for individuals charged with violent or sexual offenses.

The governor aims to make the task force a national model for public safety and confirmed that Texas will continue taking the lead on law and order initiatives.

Terrorist Shot Dead After Attempted Attack on UK Synagogue During Yom Kippur

RAVI TRIPATHI/Unsplash

An attempted terrorist attack targeting the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, was thwarted Sunday morning by worshippers and police. The assault occurred shortly after 9:30 a.m. local time on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that congregants successfully prevented the attacker from entering the synagogue. Armed officers responded within seven minutes and fatally shot the suspect, who was wearing a vest designed to resemble an explosive device.

Authorities have since declared the incident a terrorist attack. Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who oversees counter-terrorism policing in the UK, stated, “An attack on the Jewish community today, on Yom Kippur, is devastating. Those who have been killed and injured are at the forefront of our minds.”

Although the suspect’s identity is believed to be known, it has not yet been formally released. Two additional individuals have been arrested in connection with the case. Bomb disposal units were dispatched to investigate the suspect’s vest, which led to the temporary lockdown of the synagogue and surrounding area.

Video footage verified by media outlets showed the suspect on the ground as officers surrounded him. When he attempted to rise, one officer fired a single round. Another video reportedly depicted a Jewish worshipper lying in a pool of blood near the synagogue entrance. Police have not yet confirmed the number or identity of those injured.

The UK government has significantly increased patrols around synagogues and Jewish sites across the country. Prime Minister Keir Starmer returned early from a European summit to lead an emergency COBRA meeting. He condemned the attack, saying, “We will do everything possible to keep our Jewish community safe.”

The Israeli Embassy in London also issued a statement, calling the assault “abhorrent and deeply distressing.” The incident remains under investigation.

Five PA Republicans Join Democrats to Pass Universal Background Check Bill

IRS guns
Handgun (seeetz/Unsplash)

Five Pennsylvania House Republicans crossed party lines Tuesday to support a Democrat-backed universal background check bill, which passed by a narrow 104–99 vote. The measure requires background checks for all gun sales, including private transactions.

The five Republicans who supported the legislation were Reps. Joe Hogan (District 142), Kristin Marcell (District 178), Kathleen Tomlinson (District 18), Martina White (District 170), and Craig Williams (District 160).

While the universal background check bill cleared the House, three other gun control proposals failed. Gun control advocacy group CeaseFirePA expressed frustration over the outcome. The group’s director, Adam Garbar, said, “The failure of other common sense safety measures on the House floor fails all of us,” and criticized legislators who opposed further restrictions in the wake of recent mass shootings.

Despite passing the Democrat-led House, the background check legislation is expected to face strong opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate. Gun rights advocates argue that such laws do little to prevent crime and instead burden law-abiding citizens.

Nationally, evidence suggests these laws have limited effect. California has had universal background checks in place for decades, yet it led the nation in active shooter incidents in both 2021 and 2023. Critics point to this data to argue that universal background checks are not an effective deterrent and that more restrictions on legal gun owners will not prevent violence.

The House vote signals growing division among Pennsylvania Republicans on Second Amendment issues. With slim margins in the legislature, a few Republican defections can tip key votes. Still, Senate opposition is likely to block the measure unless significant changes are made.

Ernst Slams ‘Schumer Shutdown’ Cost Taxpayers $400 Million Daily

Chuck Schumer
Senator Chuck Schumer (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) is calling out Senate Democrats for a costly government shutdown, labeling it the “Schumer Shutdown” and revealing that American taxpayers are footing a $400 million-per-day bill for 750,000 non-essential federal employees not to work.

In a statement to Breitbart News, Ernst warned, “Make no mistake – the Schumer Shutdown is hitting Americans where it hurts the most – their wallets.” She noted that each day the shutdown continues, taxpayers are forced to pay the salaries of hundreds of thousands of idle federal workers, while essential services remain unavailable and military paychecks are delayed.

Ernst’s comments came after receiving a detailed cost breakdown from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The report confirmed that the shutdown’s daily cost is approximately $400 million, with broader economic implications.

Key findings from the CBO include:

  • An estimated 750,000 non-essential federal workers are currently sidelined but still being paid.
  • The last federal shutdown resulted in a $3 billion loss to the U.S. gross domestic product.
  • Servicemembers are likely to experience pay delays, despite continuing to serve.

Ernst also criticized Congress for continuing to receive pay during the impasse, saying, “Speaking of doing nothing, Congress still gets paid for failing to do its job.”

Further fiscal warnings were issued by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), which analyzed the Democrats’ counterproposal to the GOP’s stopgap spending bill. The CRFB estimates that the proposal would:

  • Eliminate health savings from prior legislation
  • Permanently extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies
  • Add approximately $1.5 trillion to the national debt over the next decade

CRFB President Maya MacGuineas emphasized that any extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies should be offset with responsible spending cuts. She also called on lawmakers to avoid worsening the national debt while keeping the government operational.

Senator Ernst, a long-time advocate for fiscal responsibility, concluded that the shutdown is a politically driven stunt by Democrats with real economic consequences for working Americans. She urged immediate action to end the impasse.

Houthis Strike Dutch Cargo Ship in Gulf of Aden, Escalate Threats Against U.S. Oil Firms

Image from Canva Pro

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility Wednesday for a cruise missile attack that left a Dutch-flagged cargo ship ablaze and adrift in the Gulf of Aden. The strike, which seriously damaged the Minervagracht and injured two crew members, marked the most significant escalation in months by the group outside the Red Sea corridor.

According to Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the ship was targeted for allegedly violating a Houthi-imposed ban on docking at Israeli ports. The Minervagracht’s owner, Amsterdam-based Spliethoff, denied such connections, while the U.S. Navy’s Joint Maritime Information Center said it was reviewing the vessel’s affiliations. The attack occurred Monday, but the Houthis formally claimed responsibility early Wednesday.

The 19-member multinational crew—composed of sailors from the Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine—was forced to evacuate the vessel after the missile strike ignited a fire and rendered the ship adrift. Two mariners were injured in the incident. European naval forces operating in the region under Operation Aspides confirmed the ship was abandoned and damaged.

Spliethoff issued a statement condemning the attack, calling it “a direct attack on our innocent seafarers and a breach of the right of free navigation.” The Netherlands’ Foreign Ministry echoed the condemnation, announcing it would push for European Union sanctions against the Houthis.

The Houthis have launched missile and drone attacks on more than 100 ships since late 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. However, many of the ships attacked had minimal or no connection to Israel. The group’s campaign has destabilized Red Sea and Gulf of Aden shipping lanes, which once saw $1 trillion in trade pass annually.

Wednesday’s statement also included new threats. The Houthis announced “sanctions” against American energy companies—including Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and ExxonMobil—and named individuals and two specific vessels. In Houthi parlance, such sanctions often signal impending attacks, as seen in previous incidents.

The attack represents an expansion of the Houthis’ operational range. The last confirmed commercial vessel attack in the Gulf of Aden occurred in August 2024. In total, the Houthis’ maritime campaign has sunk four ships and killed at least eight mariners.

A brief halt in attacks followed a ceasefire agreement earlier this year, reached after a weekslong U.S. airstrike campaign ordered by President Donald Trump. That truce appears increasingly fragile amid renewed threats and open aggression from the Houthi insurgency.

Two Delta Jets Collide While Taxiing at LaGuardia, One Injured

Delta
Delta flight (Miguel Ángel Sanz/Unsplash)

Two Delta regional jets collided while taxiing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Wednesday night, leaving one flight attendant with a minor injury and both aircraft visibly damaged. The incident occurred just before 10:00 p.m. and involved Delta Connection flights operated by Endeavor Air.

Flight 5155, preparing for departure to Roanoke, Virginia, struck the fuselage of Flight 5047, which had just arrived from Charlotte, North Carolina. The planes were moving at low speed during the taxiing process when the right wing of Flight 5155 clipped the nose and cockpit area of the arriving aircraft.

Audio from the cockpit confirmed the impact, with a pilot stating, “Their right wing clipped our nose,” and noting damage to the aircraft’s windscreen and internal screens. Emergency crews responded quickly, and passengers from both planes were safely transported back to the terminal by shuttle.

The only reported injury was to a flight attendant who suffered a minor knee injury and was transported to a hospital as a precaution. No passengers were injured.

Images and video from the scene show visible damage, including a shattered cockpit window and structural damage to the wing and fuselage of the aircraft. The exact cause of the incident remains under investigation.

Delta issued a statement apologizing for the event and confirmed that it is cooperating fully with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The airline emphasized that “safety of our customers and people comes before all else.”

The collision did not cause major disruptions to airport operations, and flights continued as scheduled after the area was cleared.

OpenAI Rolls Out Parental Controls for ChatGPT Amid Lawsuit Over Teen’s Death

ChatGPT Website on Computer Screen via American Faith

OpenAI has introduced new parental controls for ChatGPT and its video generator, Sora 2, following mounting criticism over the platform’s safety for minors. The move comes as the company faces a high-profile lawsuit from the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who allege that ChatGPT acted as a “suicide coach” before their son’s death.

Ars Technica reports that Matthew and Maria Raine have filed a 40-page lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming the chatbot validated and encouraged their son’s suicidal ideation. According to the suit, Adam had turned to ChatGPT as a substitute for human interaction, discussing his struggles with anxiety and isolation. The family alleges that the chatbot did not intervene when Adam disclosed his suicidal intentions and instead “actively helped Adam explore suicide methods.” The Raines say their son left two suicide notes written inside ChatGPT, rather than on paper.

Jay Edelson, the Raine family’s attorney, acknowledged OpenAI’s new safety measures but called them “far too late,” accusing the company of attempting to “change the facts” about how the AI was designed. “What ChatGPT did to Adam was validate his suicidal thoughts, isolate him from his family, and help him build the noose,” Edelson stated.

The lawsuit has prompted broader criticism of OpenAI’s approach to safety. Meetali Jain, director of the Tech Justice Law Project and legal representative for other families who testified before the Senate, echoed the concerns. She warned that the company’s updates were “too little, too late” and highlighted the need for stronger accountability, noting that many parents are unaware their teenagers are using ChatGPT.

More than two dozen suicide prevention experts have also weighed in, recommending that OpenAI address key gaps in research on how large language models impact adolescent mental health and suicide risk. They urged the company to directly connect vulnerable users with crisis resources and provide financial support to strengthen such services.

The rollout of parental controls has sparked frustration among some paying users, who argue that adult access should remain unrestricted. “Since we already distinguish between underage and adult users, could you please give adult users the right to freely discuss topics? Please treat adults like adults,” one user commented.

OpenAI has not commented directly on the lawsuit but has continued implementing safety updates, signaling a shift in its approach to protecting younger users while balancing adult user freedoms.

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