Homeschooling Soars,Parents Find It Effective; Parents Say It Works Well,Don't Want to End It

As many schools  across the U.S. prepare to reopen this year, the number of parents opting to homeschool their children has surged in the wake of COVID-19 school lockdowns, the WND website reports today (July 31, 2021).

A common theme for a number of parents is that their kids performed well while homeschooling and they don't want to change that.

Yvonne Bunn, director of homeschool support and government affairs with Home Educators Association of Virginia, said it had to increase its staff in order to answer the spike in questions from parents.

Capitol Police Nab Those Who Don't Wear Mask; Speaker Pelosi's Mandatory Mask Rule Is the Law

A memo issued by Thomas Manger, chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, ordered officers on the House of Representatives side of the Capitol Building to arrest staff and visitors who refuse to wear a mask in defiance of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's new rule reinstating mandatory masking in the chamber, The New American website reports today (July 30, 2021). 

"Any person who fails to either comply or to leave the premises after being asked to do so would be subject to an arrest for Unlawful Entry," the memo reads. 

Per the memo, officers are not to arrest members of Congress, but they are to report the noncompliance of lawmakers to the House's sergeant-at-arms.

More Than 2 DozenTaliban Attacks This Spring; 81 Afghan Troops Were Killed as US Left Nation

A new US government report reveals today (July 29, 2021) that the Taliban offensive this spring included more than two dozen insider attacks during the 90-day period ending June 30, a wave of violence that left at least 81 Afghan troops  dead, as the U.S. withdrew its forces from the country, according to the Washington Post website. 

At least 37 Afghan troops were wounded in those attacks.

The data  underscores the enormous challenges and immense pressure facing Afghan forces who have been left to fight militants with little U.S. support.

Biden, Blinken Slam Antisemitism in US Building; After a Swastika Is Found in a State Dept. Elevator

 President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are among the top U.S. officials to make statements condemning antisemitism after a swastika was found in a federal office building  yesterday, the JTA website reports today (July 28, 2021).

The swastika appeared in an elevator in the State Department building in Washington, D.C.

Blinken, whose stepfather survived the Holocaust, condemned the antisemitic hatred in three tweets last night. 

Biden:Federal Workers Will Need COVID Shots; Dept. of Vet. Affairs Now Requires COVID Shots

 President Biden is expected to make an announcement on Thursday, July 29th, requiring all federal workers and contractors to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the CBN News website reports today (July 27, 2021).

Biden also is expected to reveal a series of new measures to encourage vaccinations as the Delta variant spreads across the U.S.

The Department of Veterans Affairs became the first federal agency yesterday to require vaccination for its 115,000 health care workers. 

Afghan Civilians Being Killed at Record Rate; Taliban Boosts Killings as US Departs Nation

 More civilians are being killed in Afghanistan than any other time in the country's violent past, according to a new report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the Daily Beast website reports today (July 26, 2021).

Nearly 800 people have been killed, and 1,600 wounded in May and June, as the U.S. began to withdraw its troops.

Most were killed by roadside bombs or died in the crossfire between the Taliban and the government-backed military.

Pope:Society Must Treat Elderly with More Love; Society Is Too Concerned with Their Own Affairs

 On the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, Pope Francis said today (July 25, 2021) that he worried about how an individualistic society treats its older members, and urged young people to give them love and attention, according to the National Catholic Register website. 

"I worry when I see a society full of people in constant motion, too caught up in their own affairs to have time for a glance, a greeting, or a hug," the pope said in a homily today.

Pope Francis' homily was read during a Mass for around 2,500 elderly people and grandparents, together with their children and grandchildren, held in St. Peter's Basilica.

Man Nabbed for Attack on Asian Man in NYC; Alex Antoine,35, Is Charged with a Hate Crime

 A 35-year-old man was arrested in connection with an attack on an Asian man in Manhattan, the CBS website reports today (July 24, 2021).

Police said Alex Antoine punched the 48-year-old man in the head and made anti-Asian statements.

Investigators said Antoine is seen on surveillance video released after the attack. He was charged with assault as a hate crime.

Black Churchgoers Want Hybrid Church Choice; Like Online Services Even Though COVID Ends

 A  new study reveals that black churchgoers have adapted so well to online church amid the pandemic that some 41% of them now favor a hybrid model of in-person and online services, even after COVID-19 is no longer deemed a threat, the Christian Post website reports today (July 23, 2021).

The study, titled Trends in the Black Church, examined how the pandemic affected black faith communities. 

Data show that the pandemic pushed black church pastors to innovate and challenged their ability to discipline people digitally during the pandemic.

Woman Destroys Statue Outside N.Y. Church; Topples Over Statue,Smashes It with Hammer

A woman destroyed a statue that stood tall in front of Our Lady of Mercy parish in Forest Hills, New York this past weekend, the Christian Post website reports today (July 22, 2021).

Police released shocking surveillance footage of a woman deliberately toppling, smashing, and destroying the 84-year-old religious statue and another statue outside a Queens church.

The video shows the woman rocking the statue until it fell over at about 3;30 a.m. on July 17, and then dragged  it  into the driveway and continued to smash it with a hammer. 

Fed.Judge Blocks Ark. Law Ending Abortion; Issues Injunction,Calls Law Unconstitutional

 A federal judge has blocked a new Arkansas law that would have banned almost all abortions in the state, the Daily Beast website reports today (July 21, 2021). 

The law would have allowed abortions only when the woman's life is in danger. 

Abortion rights groups filed a legal challenge, and U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker issued a preliminary injunction, calling the law "categorically unconstitutional."

Georgia Churches Leave UMC over LGBT Stand; UMC Rejected a Homosexual Vote for Churches

Two congregations in Georgia have left the United Methodist Church over the denomination's opposition to homosexuality, and merged into one church, the Christian Post website reports today (July 20, 2021).

Asbury Memorial Church and Wesley Oak Church -- both based in Savannah -- recently voted to disaffiliate from the UMC South Georgia Conference.

The decision to leave came as a result of the 2019 special session of the UMC General Conference voting to reaffirm the conservative theological stance of the UMC regarding homosexuality, rejecting a compromise proposal that would have allowed more regional variance. 

Biden Admin.Releases Inmate in Guantanamo; May Be the Beginning of the End for US Prison

 The Biden administration has repatriated a detainee from Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba to Morocco, the first transfer of an inmate from the high-security prison in several years, the Washington Post website reports today (July 19, 2021).

The transfer of trainee Abdul Latif Nasir leaves just 39 inmates at the facility.

It also provides the first concrete illustration of how the administration may attempt to finally shutter the prison.

Secretary of State Invites UN to Probe US Racism; Sec. Asserts "Transparency" Is Critical for Success

The Biden administration has formally invited the United Nations to investigate "the scourge of racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia" in the U.S., the WND website reports today (July 18, 2021).

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken made the invitation in a statement on July 13.

Blinken said it's a matter of "transparency." "As the President has repeatedly made clear, great nations such as ours do not hide  from our shortcomings; they acknowledge them openly and strive to improve with transparency," he said.

Many Cath. Angry at Pope Dooming Latin Masses; Latin Mass Society Head:"Grave Disappointment"

Conservatives reacted with outrage at Pope Francis' unexpected crackdown on traditional Latin Mass, saying it could drive many Catholics out of the church, the Newsmax website reports today (July 17, 2021).

"This is a grave disappointment," said Joseph Shaw, chairman of the Latin Mass Society, in response to the pope's new policy against the Latin Mass. 

Such Masses will no longer take place in the Catholic Church unless the local bishop first consults the Vatican for approval.

Pope Limits Old Latin Mass in Catholic Parishes; Mass to Be Performed in Language of Local Parish

Pope Francis today (July 16, 2021) banned the celebration of the old Latin Mass favored by many conservatives, saying priests can only perform it with the approval of local bishops and the Vatican, according to the UPI website.

Instead of Latin, the modern Mass is to be performed in the language of local parishes around the world.

Pope Francis said the old Latin Mass betrayed the tradition and the "true Church."

Gov. Cuomo,Investigators Meet This Weekend; Several Women Accused Cuomo of Misconduct

 New York Gov. Cuomo is expected to sit down with investigators probing sexual harassment claims against him this weekend, the NY Daily News website reports today (July 16, 2021).

Independent lawyers working under Atty. Gen. Letitia James will interview Cuomo on July 17 as part of a months-long probe. 

Several women -- including current and former staffers -- have accused the 63-year-old Democrat of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior, leading to calls for the governor's resignation.

Drug Overdose Deaths Go up 30% in US in 2020; Record Estimate of 93,331 Drug Deaths Reported

Drug overdose deaths rose by nearly 30% in the U.S. in 2020, according to a report released today (July 14, 2021) by the National Center for Health Statistics, the UPI website reports.  

An estimated 93,331 drug overdose deaths were reported nationally last year -- a record -- up from 72,151 deaths estimated in 2019.

Overdose deaths associated with "psycho-stimulants" such as metamphetamine increased by 47% in 2020 from 2019.

Prices Rise by 5.4 Percent in June over Last Year; Largest Spike since 2008,Inflation Stay Uncertain

 Prices rose 5.4 percent in June compared to a year ago, marking the largest spike since 2008, as the pandemic-battered economy regains its footing, the Washington Post website reports today (July 13, 2021).

Inflation has been on a steep rise for about four months, as the recovery gains steam.

Policymakers at the Federal Reserve and the White House have asserted the price pops are not here to stay, and it will take patience for the economy to come back to full strength and for prices to simmer down.

Cubans Stage Largest Protest on Govt. in Decades; Due to Lack of Medicine and Food amid Pandemic

 The people of Cuba demonstrated their anger against the communist government yesterday in the largest protest in decades amid shortages of medicine and food during the pandemic, the Christian Post website reports today (July 12, 2021).

Protests were held in cities around the Caribbean island country, including San Antonio de los Banas, Palma Soriano, and Havana.

"It is the most massive popular demonstration to protest the government that we have experienced in Cuba since 1959," the year Fidel Castro seized power of the country, Cuban activist Carolina Barrero  said.

Biden Admin. Cancels $1.5B in Student Loans; Criticized by Many in US as Drive to Socialism

 The Department of Education has canceled an additional $55.6 million in student loan debt, bringing the total amount of canceled student loan debt by the Biden administration to $1.5 billion, the USA Today website reports today (July 11, 2021).

Miguel Cardona, the secretary of education, said in a statement on July 9 that the canceled student loans are due to "colleges that took advantage of students."

The cancellation of student loans has been criticized by many Americans, who view it as a major step toward socialism being promoted in the U.S. by President Biden.

Pakistan Court:13-Yr.-Old Girl to Go to Husband; Muslim Man Had Her Marry Him, Agree to Islam

 A court in Pakistan's Punjab province has granted custody to a 13-year -old Christian girl to a Muslim man who has three wives, and who abducted  her and forced her to marry him and convert yo Islam, the Christian Post website reports today (July 10, 2021).

Shahid Gill, the Catholic father of the girl, Nayab Gill, pleaded that his daughter was underage and could not legally marry or change her religion on her own, but the Lahore High Court disagreed, giving custody to the Muslim man, 30-year-old Saddam Hayat.

Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry last week rejected the girl's official birth documents showing she was 13, while siding with Hayar who claimed she had converted to Islam on her own free will on May 20.

Teachers Unions for Teaching Racism in Schools; AFT:Republicans Bully Teachers' Honest History

 Both the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) -- America's two largest teachers' unions -- are supporting teaching the school children of America that their country is an oppressive nation, and has been from its beginning, the New American website reports today (July 9, 2021).

After 21 states have adopted some form of ban on critical racist theory (CRT), Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, blamed Republicans of bullying teachers against the teaching of "honest history."

By "honest history," Weingarten means teaching American history in such a way that this nation's heritage is presented as one long episode of oppression of blacks.

UK Pulls Most of Its Troops Out of Afghanistan; British PM: Troops Not Meant to Be Permanent

 U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today (July 8, 2021) that most British troops have left Afghanistan, the Daily Caller website reports. 

"The international  military presence in Afghanistan was never intended to be permanent," Johnson told the British Parliament. 

"All British troops assigned to NATO's mission in Afghanistan are now returning home," he added.

Group of Attackers Assassinate President of Haiti; Shoot Him in His Home, Wound Wife at Midnight

Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated  at his home today (July 7, 2021), and his wife was injured in the attack, the UPI website reports. 

Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph said a group of armed attackers shot Moise and his wife after midnight at their home in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti.

"The country's security situation is under the control of the National Police of Haiti and the Armed Forces of Haiti," Joseph said. "Democracy and the republic will win."

Jennifer Lopez:"This Is the Best Time of My Life;" After Split with ARod, Romance with Ben Affleck

Jennifer Lopez opened up about where she's at in her life after her split with Alex Rodriguez, and rekindled romance with Ben Affleck, and said she's now living her best life, the Us Magazine website reports today (July 6, 2021).

"I'm super happy," the Hustlers star, 51, said yesterday.

She added, "And I love all the love that's coming my way right now and all the good wishes. And I just want everybody to know that it's the best time. It's the best time of my life."

US Hands Over Bagram Airbase to Afghans; Troops Leaving Longest War in U.S. History

After 20 years, the U.S. military left Bagram Airfield, the epicenter of its war in Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and hunt down the al Qaeda perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist  attacks on America, the Washington Times website reports today (July 5, 2021).

The airfield was handed over to the Afghan National Security and Defense Force.

The U.S. top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Austin Miller, still retains the authority to protect the U.S. forces that remain there.

Ex-PM Donald Tusk Returns to Politics in Poland; Does So to Fight "Evil" of Govt. Law/Justice Dept.

 Donald Tusk, former leader of the European Union and prime minister of Poland, has been elected head of the largest party in Poland's fragmented opposition, the Civic Platform, the Euro News website reports today (July 4, 2021).

Tusk said he is returning to politics to help fight the "evil" of the current right-wing government led by Law and Justice, which has dominated Polish politics since 2016. 

Tusk co-founded the Civic Platform party in 2001. It ruled Poland for eight years -- most of the time with Tusk as prime minister.

The Left Is Effectively Dividing America; Has Taken Over Ed., Entertainment, Social Media

 The left along with its supporters (feminism, Marxism, socialism, environmentalism, etc.) is effectively dividing America, the WND website reports today (July 3, 2021).

Having already taken over education, entertainment, and social media, the left is now engaged in pitting groups against each other. 

Blacks against whites. Haves  against have nots. Rich against poor. Elite against plebeian. Religious against atheists. Gays against straights. Victims against oppressors. Women against men.

Priest to Give Biden Communion Despite View; Calls Biden Man of Faith Despite Abortion View

 Father Kevin Gillespie of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown confirmed today (July 2, 2021) that he will give Communion to President Joe Biden despite Biden's anti-Catholic radical abortion advocacy, according to the Lifenews website.

Gillespie said Biden attends Holy Trinity sometimes when he is in Washington, D.C., and he is "a man of faith."

He added, "I would give Communion to him like any other Catholic coming up for the Eucharist."

Poll:27% of Churchgoers Don't Plan to Return Yet; Lost Interest in Church when Closed in Pandemic

More than 25% of people who attended religious services at least once a month before the coronavirus  pandemic have no plans to return to the church, synagogue, or mosque in the next few weeks, as lockdown restrictions continue to be lifted, a new poll shows, according to the Christian Post website. 

Data from the nationwide poll -- conducted in mid-June with 1,125 adults -- shows that while many people plan to reconnect with friends and family, only 34% say they plan to attend jn-person religious services in the next few weeks.

And while a majority -- 73% of people -- say they plan on attending religious services in person in the coming weeks, 27% have no plans to do so.