September 5, 2015

Pope Francis prepares for most political trip yet
Pope Francis is gearing up for potentially his most politically charged trip yet, an eight-day whirlwind visit which will take him from Havana's Revolution Square in Cuba to the headquarters of the United Nations.  

China's Central Bank Chief Admits "The Bubble Has Burst"
In a stunningly honest admission from a member of the elite, Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of China’s central bank, exclaimed multiple times this week to his G-20 colleagues that a bubble in his country had "burst."  

New York 2015 - FOUR THOUSAND sleeping on the streets...
...New York is in the grip of a homeless epidemic so bad that it has raised fears of the city slipping back into the disorder of the 1970s and 1980s. The city's police chief this week said that as many as 4,000 people are now sleeping rough in the city, in a crisis which even the city's ultra-liberal mayor has finally acknowledged after months of denials.  

Saudi Arabia: Iran deal will contribute to Middle East security and stability
Saudi Arabia is satisfied with assurances from US President Barack Obama about the Iran nuclear deal and believes the agreement will contribute to security and stability in the Middle East... Saudi King Salman met with Obama at the White House on Friday to seek more support in countering Iran, as the Obama administration aimed to use the visit to shore up relations after a period of tensions.  

The Dead Sea: From world wonder to sinkhole nightmare
They covered the first sinkhole with gravel and hoped it was a one-time occurrence. But then a cleaner fell into a three-meter-deep hole with her cleaning cart. The camping site was closed down that same day. They surrounded it with barbed wire and no one has gone inside for 17 years.  

Russia may be escalating military role in Syria
U.S. intelligence has captured evidence of a significant escalation of Russia's military engagement in Syria's civil war, including satellite images of an apparent Russian base for staging troops and heavy equipment under construction near a port city that is a stronghold for Syrian President Bashar Assad, U.S. officials say.  

45 United Arab Emirates troops killed in Yemen in deadliest day for the nation's military
Forty-five troops from the United Arab Emirates were killed in Yemen while taking part in Saudi-led operations against Shiite rebels, the Gulf nation said Friday, in the deadliest day for its military in its 44-year history.  

Bolivia: Air Force captain found with large load of cocaine
A senior Bolivian official says an air force captain has been detained as he tried to take off from near the Peru border with 362 kilograms (796 pounds) of cocaine in his plane. Government Minister Carlos Romero identifies the pilot as 34-year-old Yimy Jose Urzagaste.  

Greek polls show Syriza, conservatives neck-and-neck
Former Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras's leftist Syriza party is running neck-and-neck with its main conservative rival, New Democracy, ahead of national elections on Sept. 20, according to three polls published on Friday.  

Pentagon chief says Iran deal strengthens US military option
US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter offered assurances Friday that the Iran nuclear deal will leave Washington with a "more effective" military option if that becomes necessary.  

September 4, 2015

Kentucky County Clerk upheld the law and is a political prisoner in America
I’ll make this very brief, for it’s not that complicated. Rowan County, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis broke no laws. In fact, she kept to her oath of office and upheld the Kentucky state Constitution by refusing to issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples. Setting aside her Christian beliefs here, I ask anyone to show me the codified law of Rowan County or the state statute in which she has allegedly violated. It does not exist.  

Obama Pushes Solar Power--In Arctic Town That Sees Little Sun in Winter
President Obama promoted solar energy to residents of Kotzebue, an Alaskan town located 26 miles north of the Arctic Circle that gets less than six hours of sunlight for 34 days in early December through early January. 
Lawmaker: Synthetic weed leaving streets full of ‘zombies’
State and city legislators joined forces on Thursday to demand that online retailers such as eBay and Craigslist stop selling the dangerous synthetic marijuana known as K2. “The Internet has become a virtual ­bodega and a chemist’s warehouse,” state Sen. Jeff Klein, a Bronx Democrat, said at a Manhattan press conference.  

Iran thumbs nose at US even as Obama rallies support for nuke deal
Even as President Obama was securing the Senate support necessary to assure passage of the nuclear deal with Iran, Tehran's top defense officials were scoffing at U.S. claims the pact will restrict the Islamic Republic's military ambitions. ...“Iran does not plan to issue permission for the [International Atomic Energy Agency] to inspect every site," Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan told Al Mayadeen News...  

Islamic State 'blows up Palmyra funerary towers'
Jihadist militants from Islamic State (IS) have blown up three funerary towers at the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria's antiquities chief has said. Maamoun Abdul Karim said they included the Tower of Elahbel, built in AD103 and one of the best-preserved. The multi-storey sandstone monuments, standing outside the city walls in an area known as the Valley of the Tombs, belonged to rich Palmyrene families.  

Migrant crisis: EU 'must accept 200,000 refugees', UN says
EU nations must accept up to 200,000 refugees as part of a "common strategy" to replace their "piecemeal" approach to the migrant crisis, the UN says. Antonio Guterres, head of the UN refugee agency, said the EU must mobilise "full force" for the crisis, calling it a "defining moment". EU leaders, split over sharing the refugee burden, are scrambling to agree a response in meetings on Friday.  

Sierra Leone village in quarantine after Ebola death
Nearly 1,000 people in Sierra Leone have been put under quarantine following the death of a 67-year-old woman who tested positive for Ebola. It comes five days into a six-week countdown for the country to be officially declared Ebola-free. The quarantine will last for three weeks, provided no new cases are recorded.  

UN expected to easily pass resolution allowing Palestinian flag to fly at New York HQ
The UN General assembly is likely to adopt a resolution next week that would allow the Palestinian flag to be raised at the United Nations in time for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' visit to New York... The 193-nation body will vote on September 10 on the measure, predicted to easily garner enough support for easy passage, according to AFP.  

Frosty relations over future of the Arctic
When, like Evon Peter, you know your ancestors have lived, hunted and fished the same land for 14,000 years, the concerns of nations which have existed only for a few hundred can seem trivial. Yet in the Arctic, the proximity of Russia and the US is becoming hard to ignore.  

Flashpoint: White House Confirms Russian Presence In Syria, Warns It Is "Destabilizing"
Two days ago we reported something which we had anticipated for a long time but nonetheless did not expect to take shape so swiftly: namely, that with Assad's regime close to collapse and fighting a war on three different fronts (one of which is directly supported by US air and "advisor" forces), Putin would have no choice but to finally intervene in the most anticipated showdown in recent history as "Russian fighter pilots are expected to begin arriving in Syria in the coming days, and will fly their Russian air force fighter jets and attack helicopters against ISIS and rebel-aligned targets within the failing state."  

Palestinians attack US tourists mistaken as settlers
Palestinians attacked five US tourists driving in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday, hurling a petrol bomb and rocks at their car, police said, apparently mistaking them for settlers.  

Why aren’t there more Kim Davises?
A federal judge ordered Kim Davis — the defiant Kentucky county clerk who has cited her Christian faith in refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples — to jail Thursday afternoon for refusing to carry out the duties of her position.  

Migrant crisis: Hungary train standoff enters second day
A tense stand-off between police and migrants on a train in Hungary is continuing into a second day. On Thursday, police let the migrants board the train in Budapest but then tried to force them off at a refugee camp to the west of the capital.  

If They Won’t Fight, Destroy Them
Children had their heads cut open and their brains removed. Others were pulled, whole and intact, from freezers then carved up and sold for scrap. Brokers haggled over the prices of heads and eyes and livers and hearts. Hands and feet were tossed about. These are the things we have learned about Planned Parenthood. What we are learning now is that Republican leaders have no inclination to fight this evil.  

That Dead Boy is Barack Obama’s Fault
ISIS did not exist in the first few years of Barack Obama’s time in the White House. ISIS only became a thing when the White House, out of pride and arrogance, decided it was better to placate the left by withdrawing all troops from Iraq rather than help the Iraqis maintain their stability. A young boy has died, washed up on the shores of Europe. His picture has shocked the world and his death is direct result of Barack Obama fleeing the Middle East, tail tucked between his leg, so he could pridefully say he ended a war he never wanted.  

Magnitude 3.1 earthquake strikes about 11 miles from Mount St. Helens
A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck Thursday afternoon about 11 miles north-northwest of Mount St. Helens, Washington Emergency Management said.  

September 3, 2015

Battle of the Messiah’s: Iran Hastening Process of Mahdi’s Arrival with Horrific Chaos Around the World
Most people are aware of the Christian and Jewish concepts of messiah, but very few outside of Islam know of their concept of messiah and how it irreconcilably pits them against the Judeo-Christian world. Today, the Islamic concept of the messiah is being expressed in current political events, most notably in the nuclear agreement with Iran.  

Palestinians Angered by Sanhedrin Decision to Put Pope Francis on Trial
The Sanhedrin decided to try the Pope after the Vatican signed its first comprehensive treaty with the “State of Palestine”, thereby officially recognizing its statehood. The treaty was ratified on May 13.  

NATO Allies Making It Easier for Iran to Attack Israel?
Apparently, NATO allies believe, although the idea defies logic, that the nuclear deal with Iran will discourage the mullahs in Tehran from attacking Israel.  

10 Mind Blowing Facts About CERN Large Collider You Need to Know
One year after CERN’s grand opening, Sergio Bertolucci, former Director for Research and Scientific Computing of the facility, grabbed headlines when he told a British tabloid the super collider could open otherworldly doors to another dimension for "a very tiny lapse of time,” mere fractions of a second. However, that may be just enough time “to peer into this open door, either by getting something out of it or sending something into it.”  

$200,000 offer ends 'gay' Democrat's child-sex charges
“Mr. Bean offered him over $200,000 to civilly compromise this case,” Hasselman said, the Oregonian reported. “Now if you’re this child and you have the choice between embarrassment and $5 a day [as a paid witness] and over $200,000 … it seems to me that would be a highly influential factor in deciding what you’re going to do.” Bean was a donor for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign...  

$200,000 offer ends 'gay' Democrat's child-sex charges
“Mr. Bean offered him over $200,000 to civilly compromise this case,” Hasselman said, the Oregonian reported. “Now if you’re this child and you have the choice between embarrassment and $5 a day [as a paid witness] and over $200,000 … it seems to me that would be a highly influential factor in deciding what you’re going to do.” Bean was a donor for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign...  

Hillary’s IT Guy Says He’ll Plead The 5th If Called To Testify About Homebrew Email Server
The State Department IT worker who managed Hillary Clinton’s private email server while she was secretary of state will plead the Fifth Amendment if called to testify about his work on the Democratic presidential candidate’s mysterious email setup, his attorney informed the House Select Committee on Benghazi this week.  

Jeb Bush's new stance on Trump: Bring it on
Republican Jeb Bush’s new campaign ad ridiculing Donald Trump as a “germophobe” and Democrat-in-disguise is just the start of what will be a bigger onslaught, signaling a more aggressive stance by the candidate, Bush advisers said on Wednesday.  

The 2030 Agenda: This Month The UN Launches A Blueprint For A New World Order With The Help Of The Pope
Did you know that the UN is planning to launch a “new universal agenda” for humanity in September 2015? That phrase does not come from me – it is actually right in the very first paragraph of the official document that every UN member nation will formally approve at a conference later this month.  

Legionnaires' outbreak in Illinois kills 8, sickens 41
An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease has killed an eighth person in Quincy, Illinois, and sickened 41, mostly at a veterans home, health and veterans affairs officials said on Wednesday.  

Four hurricanes swirling, more dangerous weather on tap
Forecasters are keeping a wary eye on four hurricanes -- two of which are Category 4 -- feeding off the warm waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Hurricane triplets Kilo, Ignacio and Jimena have simultaneously formed in the central Pacific. It’s the first time three hurricanes that held a Category 3 rating or stronger had formed in the central and eastern Pacific basins at the same time,  

Tropical Storm Kevin forms in Pacific off Mexico's coast
Tropical Storm Kevin has formed in the eastern Pacific off Mexico's coast. The storm's maximum sustained winds early Thursday are near 40 mph. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Kevin is expected to remain a tropical storm through Friday.  

Kerry Promises Israel, Saudis Money In Wake of Iran Nuclear Deal
Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday moved to reassure Congress that Israel and America’s Gulf State allies would be fully taken care of in the wake of the Iran nuclear deal, which Kerry acknowledged would not stop Iran’s support for terrorism, according to a letter sent by the secretary of state to lawmakers.  

Obama secures enough support from senators for Iran deal
US President Barack Obama has secured enough support in the US Senate to ensure that the Iran nuclear deal will go into effect. Democrat Barbara Mikulski of Maryland became the 34th senator to back the deal on Wednesday. US Congress could still oppose the deal, but Mr Obama has now enough votes to override any resolution of disapproval.  

Five Chinese ships seen off Alaska coast, Pentagon says
Five Chinese naval ships are currently positioned in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska, US officials confirm. It is believed to be the first time Chinese military vessels have been seen operating in the area. Officials say they have been monitoring the ships' activities, but said they were operating in international waters.  

China poses threat to global growth, IMF warns
Slower growth in China and continuing stock market uncertainty pose a threat to global economic growth, the International Monetary Fund has warned. China's slowdown appears to have bigger repercussions for other countries than had been expected, the IMF said. The troubles in China have sent the prices of commodities such as oil and copper sliding.  

Middle East wars deprive 13m children of education - UN
The UN has said that conflicts in the Middle East are depriving more than 13 million children of an education. The UN children's fund, Unicef, says in a new report that the hopes of a generation across the Middle East and North Africa are being shattered. It says that in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, almost 9,000 schools are not able to be used for education.  

US sponsors ISIS and 'child-killer' Israeli regime, says Iranian commander
Commander of Iran's land force accused the US of sponsoring terrorist groups in the region, including ISIS, and of supporting the "occupying Zionist regime,"... "The US' new strategy in the region is [inciting wars of] religion against religion, and it has created and supported terrorist groups, including the ISIS, in line with the same strategy," Iranian commander Ahmadreza Pourdastan said...  

Lavish China parade to commemorate WW2 victory
China is set to showcase its military might in a lavish parade, unprecedented in its scale, to mark the defeat of Japan in World War Two. Some 12,000 troops and 200 aircraft, as well as tanks and missiles, will go on display in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. More than 80% of the machinery will be shown in public for the first time, state media said.  

Migrant tempers fray as Hungary blocks trains for 2nd day
Tempers flared among the thousands trapped in a makeshift refugee camp in the heart of Budapest on Wednesday as Hungary played hardball with its unwelcome visitors for a second day, blocking train ticket-clutching migrants from traveling deeper into Europe.  

Egypt gas find sparks panic in Israel about Israeli reserves
Egypt's new natural gas bonanza is causing an uproar in Israel, with energy stocks plummeting and recriminations over indecisiveness and infighting that have delayed production from the country's own gas fields.  

Five Chinese Navy Ships Are Operating in Bering Sea Off Alaska Coast
Five Chinese navy ships are currently operating in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska, Pentagon officials said Wednesday, marking the first time the U.S. military has seen them in the area.  

Erdogan tightens leash on Turkish media
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. Last week’s arrest on purported terrorism charges of three foreign correspondents working for Vice, the online news channel, and this week’s dawn raid on the Koza Ipek group, a mining and energy consortium that owns the Bugun daily newspaper and Bugun TV, has sent another chill through the few remaining outposts of the media in Turkey not yet on a tight government leash.  

September 2, 2015

Hurricane Fred lashes Cape Verde Islands
It is rare for a hurricane to form so near the African coast, and though a handful of tropical storms have formed this far east in the tropical Atlantic, Fred marks the easternmost formation of a hurricane, according to hurricane records in a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration database. Fred is the first hurricane to pass through the Cape Verde Islands since 1892.  

Divine Patterns Found in Shmittah, Jubilee Cycles Point to Something Big About to Happen for Israel
Do these sequences point to the possibility that dominion over the Temple Mount will soon be returned to the Jewish people? “There are patterns which we perceive with 20-20 hindsight, but they never produced viable results when projecting them to the future.  

Two Earthquakes Recorded In Oklahoma
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 3.8 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 8:50 a.m. Its epicenter was located 13 miles west, southwest of Helena, and 34 miles west of Enid. Another 3.5 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 9:01 a.m. Its epicenter was located one mile west, southwest of Cushing, and 17 miles southeast of Stillwater. It was about two miles deep. 
Finally! Transgender 'Girl' Gets Dose of Common Sense from Students, Parents
Time and time again, the rights of the majority are being trumped by a vocal minority. However, in one case involving a boy who is pretending to be a girl (transgender) and is demanding that he use the girls' restroom, people have actually stood up and said, "Enough is enough!"  

End of the Shmita: Aliens, Blood Moons and Economic Collapse
following are three warnings from three completely different groups of people predicting awful things in store for the coming weeks and months. The first is the Israeli chapter of New Age Raelian Movement. The movement's prophet, who took the name Maitreya Rael, has instructed his Israeli followers to publish an urgent "oracle" in a highly unusual public campaign.  

Washington’s Grand Coulee Dam inspected after M4.2 temblor hits nearby
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake was centered about 25 miles (40 km) north of the dam near the town of Nespelem in heart of the sprawling Coleville Indian Reservation, an area ravaged by a major wildfire in recent days. Weak to light shaking was felt over a wide region, but there were no immediate reports of damage of injuries. 
Rare Supermoon Lunar Eclipse Coming This Month

The cosmic event will take place on the night of Sept. 27 when two periodic events -- supermoons and lunar eclipses -- will happen at the same time, making for a rare coincidence. A supermoon occurs when a full moon happens when it is at the closest point in its elliptical orbit around Earth, making the full moon appear up to 14% larger and brighter than usual.  

Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbis
we are also seeing a rise in the internalization of anti-Semitism among some American Jews. The victims of this internalized bigotry adopt the falsehoods and stereotypes of the anti-Jewish racists who manufacture accusations against Israel in order to foment anti-Semitic sentiment and actions. One example of this phenomenon is the so-called “Rabbinical Council” of a purportedly Jewish organization, whose mission is to aid those who seek to delegitimize the Jewish state.  

Three major hurricanes pictured over Pacific for first time
It is the first time three storms classed as Category 3 or higher have been pictured together at the same time, Nasa officials said.  

Islam expert: Did Quran come before Muhammad?
a recent report in the Daily Mail, which described how several pages were carbon-dated by experts at Oxford, who found not only were some of the pages likely from the oldest Quran in the world, they possibly were created between 568 AD and 645 AD. The dates given for Muhammad’s life often are 570 AD to 632 AD, meaning the fragment could have been in print (hand-written on parchment) two years before Islam’s founder was born.  

156 YEARS AGO, A GEOMAGNETIC MEGA-STORM
On Sept. 2nd, a billion-ton coronal mass ejection (CME) slammed into Earth's magnetic field. Campers in the Rocky Mountains woke up in the middle of the night, thinking that the glow they saw was sunrise. No, it was the Northern Lights. People in Cuba read their morning paper by the red illumination of aurora borealis. Earth was peppered by particles so energetic, they altered the chemistry of polar ice.  

Citing God's authority, clerk defies Supreme Court on gay marriages
Invoking God's authority, a Kentucky county clerk defied the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday and stood by her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis has refused to issue marriage licenses to any couples - gay or straight - since the court in June ruled that same-sex couples had the right to marry under the U.S. Constitution.  

Third earthquake hits northeastern Taiwan in less than an hour
Taipei, Sept. 2 (CNA) A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook Yilan County at 11:03 a.m. Wednesday, the third in a series of shallow temblors that struck the northeastern county within an hour, the Central Weather Bureau said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries caused by any of the earthquakes.  

6.1 magnitude quake strikes Sarangani
Philippines) — A magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit Sarangani, Davao Occidental at 9:18 a.m. Wednesday (September 2), according to the latest earthquake bulletin of Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).  

Blood moon has some expecting end of the world
...The night of September 27-28 will bring a "blood moon." To skywatchers, it simply refers to the copper color the moon takes on during an eclipse, but to some Christian ministers, the fourth and final eclipse in a tetrad -- four consecutive total lunar eclipses, each separated by six lunar months -- fulfills biblical prophecy of the apocalypse.  

Islamic State Terrorists Caught Crossing Into Europe Posing As Refugees
Five men have been arrested as they attempted to cross the Bulgarian-Macedonian border with decapitation videos and Islamic State propaganda on their phones. The terrorist suspects had been posing as refugees. Bulgarian authorities near the Gyueshevo border checkpoint detained the five men, aged between 20 and 24, late on Wednesday, Bulgarian broadcaster NOVA TV reported.  

The surging ranks of America's ultrapoor
By one dismal measure, America is joining the likes of Third World countries. The number of U.S. residents who are struggling to survive on just $2 a day has more than doubled since 1996, placing 1.5 million households and 3 million children in this desperate economic situation.  

Islamic State battles Syrian rebel forces in Damascus
Syrian rebel forces have come under attack from Islamic State (IS) on the southern outskirts of Damascus. Militants from the jihadist group are reportedly battling Jaysh al-Islam fighters in the Qadam district and those of Ajnad al-Sham in nearby Asali. The fighting has brought IS closer than ever to the heart of the capital.  

El Salvador violence up to civil war-era level
Violence involving street gangs in El Salvador left 907 people dead last month, a level of bloodshed unseen since the civil war of the 1980s, police say. They say the high numbers are due to an increase in clashes between street gangs and the security forces and rival gangs fighting each other. El Salvador is believed to have more then 70,000 gang members.  

Migrant crisis: Thousands arrive in mainland Greece
Thousands of migrants are arriving in mainland Greece as the government prepares for talks on tackling the huge number of people reaching its shores. Two ships carrying more than 4,200 people travelled to Piraeus port at night after leaving Lesbos island. The whole EU is struggling to deal with an unprecedented influx of migrants.  

IDF puts finishing touches on mass evacuation plan in case of war with Hezbollah
Israeli authorities have already made contingency plans in the eventuality that hostilities are re-ignited with the Shi'ite group Hezbollah just over the border in Lebanon. According to the latest emergency plans formulated by the IDF, residents of the northern frontier towns that are in closest vicinity to the border will be evacuated. These communities would instead be used to quarter soldiers from elite units.  

'CIA launches secret drone campaign to hunt down top ISIS terrorists'
American commandos and the CIA have jointly launched a secret drone operation to track down and kill senior Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists in Syria, The Washington Post is reporting in Wednesday editions. According to the Post, the campaign is an independently run initiative that is separate from the overall military effort being waged against the extremist movement by the US and other regional allies.  

A retired general thinks the US could get al-Qaeda to fight against ISIS
A retired U.S. Army general and former Central Intelligence Agency director David Petraeus is publicly floating a new and somewhat surprising proposal for combating the terrorist group ISIS in the Middle East.  

A new, deadly drug is extremely popular among high-school students
Synthetic cannabinoids, commonly referred to as synthetic marijuana, are a new deadly drug that are soaring in popularity among high-school-aged students, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.  

Sheep Led To The Slaughter: The Muzzling Of Free Speech In America
The architects of the American police state must think we’re idiots. With every passing day, we’re being moved further down the road towards a totalitarian society characterized by government censorship, violence, corruption, hypocrisy and intolerance, all packaged for our supposed benefit in the Orwellian doublespeak of national security, tolerance and so-called “government speech.”  

Thai prime minister says bombing suspect arrested at border
Thai authorities arrested a man they believe is part of a group responsible for a deadly bombing at a shrine in central Bangkok two weeks ago, the prime minister announced Tuesday. He said the suspect resembles a yellow-shirted man in a surveillance video who police say planted the bomb.  

Israel asks UN to reject Palestinian attempt to raise flag
Israel on Tuesday urged U.N. leaders to reject a Palestinian attempt to raise their flag at U.N. headquarters as early as this month's gathering of world leaders there.  

Iranian Guard chief says US 'still the Great Satan'
The head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard said Tuesday that the U.S. is still the "Great Satan," regardless of the nuclear deal struck with Americans and world powers over the Islamic Republic's contested nuclear program.  

September 1, 2015

Oh Boy: Clinton Reportedly Used Private Server For Clinton Foundation and State Department Business
the State Department released 7,000 new emails belonging to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The emails were stored on her private server and 150 have been flagged as containing classified information.  

Hillsong NYC Church Has An ‘Engaged’ Openly Homosexual Couple Leading The Choir
“We have a lot of gay men and women in our church and I pray we always do.” – Pastor Carl Lentz, Hillsong NYC “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections:Romans 1:26  

Three major hurricanes pictured over the Pacific for the first time EVER and it could be thanks to this year's mega-El Nino
Three major hurricanes are simultaneously making their way across the Pacific Ocean for the first time in history. Hurricanes Ignacio, Kilo and Jimena were pictured together by NASA and astronauts from the International Space Station this weekend as they straddled the Pacific from Mexico to Hawaii. It is the first time that three storms classed as Category 3 or higher, meaning they have the potential to cause major damage, have been pictured together at the same time.  

Milwaukee Sheriff: Obama ‘Started This War on Police’
Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. strongly criticized what he called the “black lies matter” movement and stressed that President Barack Obama himself had “started this war on police.” Sheriff Clarke said, “Judge, I am too pissed off tonight to be diplomatic about what’s going on and I’m not going to stick my head in the sand about it.”  

El Niño strengthens but a warm Indian Ocean
The 2015 El Niño is now the strongest El Niño since 1997–98. The tropical Pacific Ocean and atmosphere are fully coupled, with sea surface temperatures well above El Niño thresholds, consistently weak trade winds, and a strongly negative Southern Oscillation Index.

Thousands Gather at South Carolina State House to ‘Stand with God’ Against Sin
“The purpose of ‘We Stand With God’ is to encourage and empower God-fearing citizens to stand in this evil day. Timing is critical,” the event website reads. “The landscape of this great republic is eroding daily and the floods of change are seeking to assassinate the moral fiber of the land we love. Crime rates are rising, civil unrest is abounding and perversion is growing exponentially.”  

A Giant Glob of Deadly Algae Is Floating off the West Coast
From the air, the Pacific algal bloom doesn't look like much of a threat: a wispy, brownish stream, snaking up along the West Coast. But it's causing amnesia in birds, deadly seizures in sea lions, and a crippling decline in the West Coast shellfish industry. "These are the highest levels of toxicity we've ever seen," says one expert.  

ALMOST-BLANK SUN
The sunspot number is plummeting, and the Earth-facing side of the sun is almost blank.  

Doomsday Countdown: US Hawks Pushing World to the Brink of Nuclear War
Washington is moving back toward a Cold War-style confrontation with Moscow over Ukraine, apparently forgetting that Russia still possesses a nuclear arsenal as large and as deployable as the US',  

European Islamic Migrant Crisis At 'Unprecedented Proportions'
"For us today, what is at stake is Europe, the lifestyle of European citizens, European values, the survival or disappearance of European nations, and more precisely formulated, their transformation beyond recognition. “Today, the question is not merely in what kind of a Europe we would like to live, but whether everything we understand as Europe will exist at all."  

Iran and the 'Francis Factor'
Members of Congress trying to derail the Iran nuclear deal will have to contend with the “Francis Factor.” By sheer scheduling luck — let’s just say it probably wasn’t what House Speaker John Boehner intended — Pope Francis will address a joint session of Congress on Sept. 24.  

Exclusive: U.S. weighs sanctioning Russia as well as China in cyber attacks
The United States is considering sanctions against both Russian and Chinese individuals and companies for cyber attacks... The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said no final decision had been made on imposing sanctions, which could strain relations with Russia further and, if they came soon, cast a pall over a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September.  

Obama pleads for Paris climate change deal
US President Barack Obama has called on world leaders to agree to cut carbon emissions at crucial talks in Paris later this year. Speaking in Alaska, he said countries including his own were not doing enough to stop global warming. World powers meet in Paris in December with the aim of agreeing to curb global temperature rises.  

Hurricane Fred hits Cape Verde islands
A hurricane with winds of up to 120km/h (75mph) has hit the island nation of Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa. The government grounded all flights as heavy rain and winds lashed north-western islands in the archipelago. No hurricane has ever been recorded further east in the tropical Atlantic.  

Somalia attack: Al-Shabab attacks African Union Janale base
Fighters from the al-Shabab militant Islamist group have overrun an African Union military base in southern Somalia, inflicting heavy casualties, witnesses have told the BBC. The militants said they have killed 70 AU soldiers at the Janale base, 90km (55 miles) south-east of the capital. AU forces have insisted they are still in control of the base.  

New Ebola death in Sierra Leone sets back efforts to beat epidemic
A woman who died last week in northern Sierra Leone tested positive for Ebola, the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) said Monday, in a setback for the country's bid to gain Ebola-free status.  

U.S. military deploys drones to Latvia on training mission
The U.S. military has deployed two MQ-1 Predator reconnaissance drones and 70 airmen to Latvia on a training mission as part of U.S. efforts to reassure European allies the United States is committed to their security, the Pentagon said on Monday.  

Rise of the bizarre 'cannabis vomiting syndrome': Heavy users suffer from severe nausea and pain
A bizarre syndrome that makes heavy cannabis users violently ill and leads them to take frequent hot baths to ease the pain has been reported by doctors. Symptoms of the illness include severe stomach pain, nausea and vomiting – and bathing in very hot water up to five times a day for relief.  

Ukraine guardsman killed in nationalist protest outside parliament
A Ukrainian national guardsman was killed and nearly 90 others wounded by grenades hurled from a crowd of nationalist protesters on Monday as they were guarding parliament where lawmakers backed giving more autonomy to rebel-held areas.  

Supreme Court rules against clerk in gay marriage case
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled against the Kentucky county clerk who has refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses, and the clerk will arrive at work Tuesday morning to face her moment of truth. Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis will have to choose whether to issue marriage licenses, defying her Christian conviction, or continue to refuse them, defying a federal judge who could pummel her with fines or order that she be hauled off to jail. 
Dow posts worst August decline in 17 years

The month of August can be pretty rough for stock investors. But this August has earned its place in the record books, as stocks were unsettled by uncertainty over the state of affairs in the world’s second largest economy, China. As far as Augusts go, this has been the worst in nearly two decades for the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.69%  

Obama pleads for Paris climate change deal
US President Barack Obama has called on world leaders to agree to cut carbon emissions at crucial talks in Paris later this year. Speaking in Alaska, he said countries including his own were not doing enough to stop global warming. World powers meet in Paris in December with the aim of agreeing to curb global temperature rises.  

Hurricane Fred hits Cape Verde islands
A hurricane with winds of up to 120km/h (75mph) has hit the island nation of Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa. The government grounded all flights as heavy rain and winds lashed north-western islands in the archipelago. No hurricane has ever been recorded further east in the tropical Atlantic.  

Somalia attack: Al-Shabab attacks African Union Janale base
Fighters from the al-Shabab militant Islamist group have overrun an African Union military base in southern Somalia, inflicting heavy casualties, witnesses have told the BBC. The militants said they have killed 70 AU soldiers at the Janale base, 90km (55 miles) south-east of the capital. AU forces have insisted they are still in control of the base.  

New Ebola death in Sierra Leone sets back efforts to beat epidemic
A woman who died last week in northern Sierra Leone tested positive for Ebola, the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) said Monday, in a setback for the country's bid to gain Ebola-free status.  

U.S. military deploys drones to Latvia on training mission
The U.S. military has deployed two MQ-1 Predator reconnaissance drones and 70 airmen to Latvia on a training mission as part of U.S. efforts to reassure European allies the United States is committed to their security, the Pentagon said on Monday.  

Rise of the bizarre 'cannabis vomiting syndrome': Heavy users suffer from severe nausea and pain
A bizarre syndrome that makes heavy cannabis users violently ill and leads them to take frequent hot baths to ease the pain has been reported by doctors. Symptoms of the illness include severe stomach pain, nausea and vomiting – and bathing in very hot water up to five times a day for relief.  

Ukraine guardsman killed in nationalist protest outside parliament
A Ukrainian national guardsman was killed and nearly 90 others wounded by grenades hurled from a crowd of nationalist protesters on Monday as they were guarding parliament where lawmakers backed giving more autonomy to rebel-held areas.  

Supreme Court rules against clerk in gay marriage case
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled against the Kentucky county clerk who has refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses, and the clerk will arrive at work Tuesday morning to face her moment of truth. Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis will have to choose whether to issue marriage licenses, defying her Christian conviction, or continue to refuse them, defying a federal judge who could pummel her with fines or order that she be hauled off to jail.  

August 31, 2015

Geologist: Earthquake called the 'Really Big One' isn't hoax
According to a New Yorker article published in July, researchers say an earthquake and tsunami combination will destroy the entire west coastline resulting from a rupture in the Cascadia Subduction Zone. According to Reed, the prediction that the 'Really Big One' will hit isn't a hoax.  

Univ. of Tennessee tells students to use gender neutral pronouns
Staff and students in the University of Tennessee Office for Diversity and Inclusion want people to think beyond the "he/she" pronouns and are encouraging use of gender-neutral pronouns such as "xe," "xym" and "xyr." Their suggestion hasn't quite caught on -- and some state legislators aren't impressed.  

Reports: Pope blesses lesbian authors for their “excellent Christian values”
Pope Francis has reportedly pronounced two “married” women fruitful, with excellent Christian values.  

Gremlins in the works: DARPA's vision for future air operations
DARPA has launched the Gremlins program, which aims to develop swarms of cheaper, smarter aircraft that can be deployed and collected in midair. Despite gaining popularity in the 1980s through the movie of the same name, the term "gremlins" was originally RAF slang for mischievous creatures that plagued airmen by causing all sorts of mechanical mishaps.  

Hurricane Fred forms in the Atlantic
Fred has strengthened to a hurricane as it approaches the Cape Verde Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Fred's maximum sustained winds early Monday have increased to near 80 mph with some additional strengthening possible.  

Never again!’ Japanese hold massive rally to protest Abe’s foreign wars bill
Tens of thousands of people gathered outside Japan’s parliament building on Sunday to protest Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s controversial bill, which authorizes Japanese armed forces to join foreign military operations.  

NATO kicks off naval drills in Black Sea with Ukraine
Ukraine is hosting naval military exercise in the Black Sea with NATO forces, involving 2,500 troops and some 150 military vehicles, from warships and helicopters to armored cars. The host nation of Sea Breeze 2015 has deployed 1,000 troops, nine warships and eight aircraft for the drill. The US has sent 1,000 troops as well as five warships, two submarines and six aircraft.  

Second Temple-Era Podium May Be Discovery in City of David
“The structure is built along the street in a place that is clearly visible from afar by passers-by making their way to the Temple. We believe the structure was a kind of monumental podium that attracted the public’s attention when walking on the city’s main street.  

World to Fed: We're prepared for U.S. rate hike, so don't delay
Central bankers from around the world are telling their American counterparts that they are ready for a U.S. interest rate hike and would prefer that the Federal Reserve make the move without further ado.  

Europe stocks set for worst monthly loss since 2011 on China, Fed concerns
Stocks in Europe fell on Monday, heading for their worst monthly losses in four years amid persistent investor concerns about slowing growth in China and the prospect of higher U.S. interest rates.  

Over 1,000 US Rabbis Pen Open Letter to Congress Opposing Iran Deal
Over 1,000 American rabbis have signed a letter to Congress, urging US lawmakers not to accept the nuclear accord reached between the P5+1 powers and Iran earlier this summer. The petition, organized by the Zionist Organization of America, calls “upon our Senators and Representatives to consider the dangers that this agreement poses to the United States and our allies, and to vote in opposition to this deal.”  

Prophetic Insights Shed Light on Possible Fate of Iran Deal
Perhaps it was not entirely unintentional when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose March 3, the 13th of Adar on the Hebrew calendar, the eve of that same Jewish holiday, to address a joint session of the US Congress in an appeal to lawmakers to reject the nuclear deal. According to the story of Purim, the Jewish Queen Esther went in to address her husband, the Persian King, to attempt to convince him to repeal Haman’s decree. If the Biblical connection was lost on Obama, it was certainly not lost on the prime minister... Central banks can’t save the markets from a crash. They shouldn’t even try
...William Dudley, president of the bank’s New York branch, hinted that the interest rate rise many had expected next month was likely to be delayed. ...According to some City analysts, the stock markets are pumped with so much cheap credit that a crash is just around the corner. And they worry that when that crash comes, the central banks are all out of moves to prevent the aftershocks from causing a broader collapse.  

Dark Matter May Be More Complex Than Physicists Thought
Dark matter—the unseen 80 percent of the universe’s mass—doesn’t emit, absorb or reflect light. Astronomers know it exists only because it interacts with our slice of the ordinary universe through gravity. ...Such a self-interacting dark matter, Bullock suspects, could exist in a “dark sector,” somewhat parallel to our own light sector, but detectable only through the way it affects gravity.  

Italy's Eni discovers huge gas field off Egyptian coast
Italian energy group Eni says it has found one of the world's largest natural gas fields off Egypt's coast. The company said the area was 1,450m (4,757 feet) beneath the surface and covered 100 sq km (39 sq miles). It could hold as much as 30 trillion cubic feet of gas, or 5.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent, Eni said.  

Nigeria's Boko Haram 'spreads to Lagos'
Boko Haram is trying to expand its activities beyond Nigeria's mainly Muslim north, to include the commercial capital Lagos, as well as other parts of the country, officials say. Twelve members of the Islamist militant group have been arrested in Lagos, Nigeria's intelligence agency says. It is not possible to independently verify details of the statement.  

Iran's Rouhani: Israel founded on intimidation, terror, occupation
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused Israel on Monday of being founded on the basis of terror and continuing that legacy to the present day. “This regime began its work on the basis of intimidation, terror and occupation, and is continuing [on] the same anti-human path today,” ...quoted Rouhani as saying on Monday...  

80 Year Old Woman Trampled To Death In Venezuela Supermarket Stampede
With 30% of Venzuelans eating two or fewer meals per day, social unrest is mounting rapidly in President Nicolas Maduro's socialist utopia. As WSJ reports, soldiers have now been deployed to stem rampant food smuggling and price speculation, which Maduro blames for triple-digit inflation and scarcity. "Due to the shortage of food... the desperation is enormous," local opposition politician Andres Camejo said, and nowhere is that more evident than the trampling death of an 80-year-old woman outside a state-subsidized supermarket.  

The Latest: Thai police find bomb materials in 2nd apartment
The latest on the investigation in the Bangkok shrine bombing (all times local):Thai police probing Bangkok's deadly bombing say they have discovered bomb-making materials during a raid of a second apartment on the outskirts of the capital.  

Governor: Boko Haram kills 56 in remote part of Borno State
Islamic extremist group Boko Haram killed 56 villagers in a remote area, the governor of Borno State of the region said Sunday, as the government warned that the extremists are trying to extend their violent campaign.  

China Might No Longer Be The World's U.S. Treasury King
Reports are out that China may be well on the path to becoming dethroned as the global king of U.S. Treasuries. According to sources familiar with the matter, China has recently begun liquidating its massive U.S. Treasuries stake to help support its hobbled currency.  

Saudi-led coalition air strike kills 36 Yemeni civilians: residents
An air strike by warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition, which said it targeted a bomb-making factory, killed 36 civilians working at a bottling plant in the northern Yemeni province of Hajjah on Sunday, residents said.  

U.S. considering sanctions over Chinese cyber theft: Washington Post
The White House is considering applying sanctions against companies and individuals in China it believes have benefited from Chinese hacking of U.S. trade secrets, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.  

August 30, 2015

Preterists in sheep's clothing: the growing plague of end times deception
If anyone had mentioned "eschatology," I would have thought it was a French word for the study of snails. And I most definitely had never heard of "Replacement Theology" or "Preterism" – the idea that all Bible prophecies that I expected to be fulfilled in the future had already been fulfilled with the Siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of its temple in 70 A.D. Not until I was faced with a Preterist that held these beliefs did I even know they existed.  

Report: ISIS beheads 39 of its own members
The ISIS warriors stood accused of various crimes including "sorcery, insulting God, sodomy, adultery, banditry, joining and cooperating with the awakening movements, cooperating with crusader coalition, mischief on earth and cooperating with the Nusayri regime forces," according to the report.  

Rosh Hashanah—the Beginning of Change
This year, Rosh Hashanah could not come at a better time. With the American Jewish community being torn between support and rejection of the Iran deal, the growing rift between supporters and opposers of the policies of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the reemerging dispute over conversion laws between Israeli orthodox Jews and the progressive views of the majority of American Jewry, it seems that the new year, with its customary element of introspection, could hardly be more timely.  

Finding the Holy Vessels – Is Now the Time?
While studying in Lakewood, New Jersey, Herman’s son suddenly remembers the whole episode in Poland, including the map, and passes everything on to another prestigious member of his family. One thing led to another, and believe it or not, there are those living in Israel today that know approximately where this underground cave lies, the very same one that is part of this authentic story! All this is just the calm before the storm.  

Islamic State Plotting ‘Second Blow’ to U.S. Financial System in Bid to ‘Purify the Earth of Corruption’
The Islamic State group revealed over the weekend that at the centerpiece of its goal to bring down America is a concerted effort to weaken the U.S. dollar and replace it with gold currency. A video posted Saturday warned of the “dawning of a new age” in which replacing the dollar with gold would deliver “the second blow to America’s capitalist financial system...”  

Saudi-led coalition air strike kills 36 Yemeni civilians: residents
An air strike by warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition killed 36 civilians working at a bottling plant in the northern Yemeni province of Hajjah on Sunday, residents said. In another air raid on the capital Sanaa, residents said four civilians were killed when a bomb hit their house near a military base in the south of the city.  

Thousands of fish wash ashore at Rio de Jeneiro's Olympic park
Thousands of dead fish wer found washed ashore in the Jacarepagua Lagoon on Saturday, next to Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Park. Residents began noticing the appearance of dead fish on Friday. Orlando Gomes, who has lived in the area since 2011, said it's the first time he has seen the phenomenon in the lagoon.  

Nepal gay parade to enshrine LGBT rights in constitution
Gay right activists have taken part in a parade in Nepal's capital Kathmandu to press their demands for gay rights to be enshrined in the constitution. Hundreds turned up for the colourful rally - dancing in the streets. They are demanding same-sex marriage be guaranteed in the new constitution, gay couples' rights to adopt, buy joint property or inherit from one another.  

Why Has Pakistan Become So Intolerant?
A Christian couple, parents of three children with a fourth on the way, were accused of blasphemy by a mob and incinerated in a brick kiln at their worksite in Punjab last November. Suicide bombers blew themselves up at two churches in Lahore in March. Asia Bibi, a Christian laborer and mother of five, awaits a hearing on her death sentence after being accused of blasphemy in 2009. In Peshawar 127 worshipers were killed and 160 wounded by suicide bombers at All Saints’ Church in September 2013.  

Turkey joins air strikes against Isil for the first time
Turkish warplanes have for the first time joined raids by the US-led coalition against Islamic State positions in Syria, the foreign ministry said Saturday, after Washington urged Ankara to play a full role in the battle against the jihadists.  

Chad executes 10 members of Boko Haram by firing squad
Chad has executed 10 members of Boko Haram by firing squad, marking the first use of the death penalty since the country bolstered its anti-terrorist measures last month. 
As asylum-seekers flood in, Germany struggles to house them

Twenty-three-year-old Leila, her husband and two small children spent their first week in Germany in a temporary shelter, an austere but desperately needed haven after a traumatic flight from Syria that began when her husband was told to fight for the government.  

Thousands rally in Beirut against political leaders, rot
Thousands of protesters waving Lebanese flags and chanting "revolution" took to the streets of Beirut on Saturday for an unprecedented mobilization against sectarian politicians they say are incompetent and corrupt.  

Thai police arrest foreign man over Bangkok bombing
Thai police said they arrested a foreigner on Saturday who matched the description of a man who left a bag at the site of a Bangkok blast that killed 20 people nearly two weeks ago.  

Suspect arrested in killing of suburban Houston deputy
Authorities said Saturday they arrested a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of a sheriff's deputy who was gunned down from behind while filling up his patrol car at a suburban Houston gas station.