Robert Kennedy Jr.Will Run for Pres. as an Ind.; Slams Corruption in Both Dem. and Rep. Parties

U.S. presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will announce he is running as an independent instead of pursuing his long-shot bid to oust President Joe Biden as the Democratic Party nominee, a shift that could complicate the 2024 election, the Reuters website reports today  (Sept. 30, 2023).  

Anti-vaccine activist Kennedy, a member of a storied U.S.  political dynasty, posted a video on YouTube yesterday asking Americans  to join him for a "major announcement" in Philadelphia on Oct.9.

"I'll  be speaking about a change in American politics," he said, decrying corruption in both parties.  

Flood Hits NYC with More Than 5 Inches of Rain; Gov.Hochul Declares NYC in State of Emergency

 Damaging downpours dumped more than five inches of rain across New York City early today (Sept.29, 2023) snarling travel on land and at airports with the nasty weather expected to last all day, and Gov. Hochul declaring NYC in a state of emergency, the Daily News website reports. 

A flash flood warning was in place for Manhattan, Brooklyn,Queens, and Staten Island, said the National Weather Service (NWS). 

"The city is bullseye with this band of rain," said NWS meteorologist Dominic Ramunni, warning of additional flash flooding as the day goes on. 

IL City Seeks to Make Christian Camp Demolish Bldgs.; In Retaliation for Opening Flooded Bldgs. during COVID

 An Illinois city is seeking to force a Christian campground to demolish most of the buildings on its property damaged by flooding, a request the ministry believes is retaliation for holding a revival event during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Christian Post website reports today(Sept. 28, 2023).

Chicago District Campground Association, also known as the Methodist Campground, filed a motion earlier this month to amend its pleadings in Cook County Circuit Court  in response to a lawsuit filed by the city of Des Plaines.

The campground, nestled on the banks  of the Des Plaines River was founded in the 1860s and throughout its history, has hosted several events and other Christian gatherings. 

6 Portuguese Sue 32 Nations on Climate Change; All 27 Euro. Union States, Other Nations Are Sued

 Six young people from Portugal took on  32 countries in the European Court of Human Rights today (Sept.27, 2023) for failing to protect them against climate change, the EuroNews website reports. 

The historic trial is the first time so many countries will have to defend themselves in front of any court in the world. 

All 27 European Union member states, the UK, Turkey,Russia, and Norway are among the defendants.

Rome Readies for Synod of Bishops on Synodality; Viewed as the Catholic Equivalent of Super Bowl

 If the Synod of Bishops on Synodality is this fall's Catholic equivalent of the Super Bowl, the next few days are similarly chock-full of what might be described as pre-game activities, creating an extremely busy period in and around Rome, the Crux website reports today (Sept. 26, 2023).

Things kick off Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. Rome time. when Pope Francis will preside over a consistory ceremony to create 21 new cardinals, including 18 under the age of 80 and therefore eligible to participate in the next papal election. 

It's a keenly anticipated moment, because there are several figures in the lineup for this consistory, the ninth of Francis'papacy, who are considered not only as highly influential figures right now, but who are also seen as possible candidates to become pope themselves at some future point. 

Pope: Be Christians Who Leap for Joy; Encounter God in Prayer, Brothers/Sisters in Love

 "Be Christians who leap for joy in the face of life's challenges -- with hearts  ready to encounter the Lord and others," Pope Francis said on Sept. 23 at a Mass in Marseille, France, the National Catholic Register reports today (Sept. 25, 2023).

"We want to be Christians who encounter God in prayer, and our brothers and sisters in love; Christians who leap, pulsate, and receive the fire of the Holy Spirit and then allow ourselves to be set afire by the questions of our day, by the challenges of the Mediterranean, by the cry of the poor --and by the 'holy utopias' of fraternity and peace that wait to be realized," the pope said Sept. 23.

Over 120 People Baptized at Texas A&M Univ.; New Life Young Adults Org. Has Ministry at A&M

 More than 120 people were baptized during a recent revival event on the Corpus Christi campus of Texas A&M University, a gathering that has spurred increased attendance in church young adult groups in recent weeks, The Christian Post website reports today (Sept.24, 2023).

New Life Church of Corpus Christi helped organize an on-campus worship event on Aug. 31   known as      "One Night," an annual gathering held in the area for the past eight years and on campus for the past two.

New Life Church Young Adults Pastor Tarik Whitmore,whose church has a student organization on campus known as New Life Young Adults, told The Christian Post that their ministry outreach to Texas A&M began in 2015, saying its influence  on the campus has "gradually increased  over  time."   

Pope Slams "Alarmist Propaganda" on Migration; Urges Countries to Support a Policy of Welcome

 After a week of rising tensions   within   Europe amid a surge in migrant     arrivals, with some countries, including France, taking measures against asylum seekers, Pope  Francis   in Marseille   challenged "alarmist propaganda" over immigration and advocated for a unified reception  policy, the Crux website reports today (Sept. 23, 2023).      

 While the port of Marseille  is a gateway   to  France and Europe, some countries have chosen to try to close their   doors, the pope said at the "Rencontres Mediterraneenes" taking  place in Marseille this week.

For those countries that have barred new migrant arrivals, Francis said, "There were two words that resounded, fueling people's fears: "invasion" and "emergency."

Federal Jury Awards Same-Sex Couple $100,000; Ky. Clerk Refused to Give Them Marriage License

A federal  jury has awarded $100,000 to a same-sex couple who sued a former county clerk in Kentucky who refused to issue them a marriage license, claiming that doing so would violate her religious beliefs, the NPR website reports today (Sept. 22, 2023).

Kim Davis, the former clerk in Rowan County, Ky. was sued by two same-sex couples to whom she refused to grant marriage licenses.

The district court found Davis personally liable in both cases, but only awarded damages in one.

Synod on Synodality Begins Next Month; Participants to Have Pilgrimage and Prayer Eveving

Organizers of the first assembly of the Synod on Synodality, which will be held at the Vatican next month, revealed plans for a participant pilgrimage and a prayer  evening for migrants and refugees, the Cath. News website reports today (Sept. 21, 2023).

At a press conference yesterday, organizers also released an updated list of participants in the first assembly, which will take place October 4 to 29.

Some 464 people will take part in the General Assembly, including 365 voting members, including 54 women.

Blast Hits Ship Heading from Romania to Ukraine; U.S. Is Accused of Stoking the War in Ukraine

 A blast has torn through a ship sailing to Ukraine near Romania, the Euro News website reports today (Sept. 20, 2023)

"A boat flying the flag of Togo reported an explosion in the engine room" in the early hours of  the morning. the Romanian Ministry of Transport said.  

The boat was near the port of Sulina, in the terrritorial waters of Romania . It was waiting to use the Ukrainian Bystroe Canal.

Man Can't Afford to Pay $75,000 Bail Set by Judge; Illinois Is 1st State to Abolish All Cash Bail

When Shannon Ross was arrested on a weapons charge in 2019 in Chicago, he counldn't afford t o pay the $75,000 bail set by a judge, so he had to spend months in jail, which caused him to lose his car, job, and time with his children, the Huffpost website reports today (Sept. 19, 2023).

Also, one in 30 people in jail report being sexually assaulted. 

Moreover, people jailed while awaiting their trial are six times more likely  to die by suicide than people who who have beeen convicted and sentenced. These statistics and more led to Illinois becoming the first state to abolish cash bail on Sept. 18.  

Many Veterans Are Now Struggling with PTSD; There Is Now an Effort to Legalize Psychedelics

Many of our country's veterans are struggling  with PTSD (Post Tramatic Stress Disorder), the WCVB website reports today (Sept. 18, 2023).

Some are now seeking other forms of treatment, not on American soil.

There is an effort to legalize some psychedelics,  commonly known as ecstasy, to treat PTSD and depression, along with talk therapy.

United Auto Workers Striking on 3 Companies; First Time Ever All 3 Companies Are on Strike

 For the first time ever, the United Auto Workers union is striking against all Big Three auto manufacturers at once :Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. 

Workers in plants from Missouri, Ohio, and Michigan will walk off the job. 

Workers at additional locations could follow,depending on how bargaining progresses, according to the NPR website.

National Migration Week Is from Sept. 18 to 24; Bishop Says Cath. Compelled to Donate to Migranrts

"For millenia, people have been forced to flee their homelands, seeking safety and security, because of factorrs beyond their control," Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, the USCB Migration Chair , said in a statement on Sept. 15th, the , Crux website reports today (Sept. 16, 2023).  

"Through our belief in Jesus Christ, we are compelled to respond with charity toward those who must uproot their lives in search of refuge, but efforts to manage migration -- even when predicated on the common good -- require that we also address the coercive force of driving people to migrate," he added. 

National Migration Week,Sept. 18--24 comes as the U.S. grapples with a migration crisis that took off during the COVID-19 pandemic.U.S. Customs and Border Protection data for southwest land border encounters shows that beginning in March 2021 border patrol has encountered between 150,000--210,000 migrants a month , peaking at about 252,000 encounters in December 2022, a record. 

Putin Wants to Open Ukraine Peace Talks; US Claims Moscow in " Desperate" Desire for Peace

 Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is willing to open peace talks with Ukraine, the Sky News website reports today(Sept. 15, 2023).

Moscow is downplaying "catastrophic" damage from attack, UK intel says. 

The U.S. suggests Moscow is "desperate" after Putin met with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, and the Russian  president claims he is willing to open peace talks. 

US Rep. Asks Colleges to End Campus Antisemitism; Tells Princeton and UPenn to Keep It off Campus

 U.S. House of Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D--NJ) is calling on the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University to keep antisemitism off their campuses, citing recent incidents that have dismayed the American Jewish community, the Algemeiner website reports today (Sept. 14, 2023).

"I have written to many university administrators and the U.S. Dept. of Education about the rise of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses," Gottheimer  wrote in a letter.

He announced to UPenn President M. Elizabeth Magill, "I am dismayed that this is now occurring at my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania."

Calif. Moving to Ban Watering Some Grass Lawns; Bill Is Now Awaiting Gov. Newsom's Signature

 Under a bill passed by state legislators this week, California will soon outlaw using drinking water for some of those vast expanses of grass -- the purely decorative patches of green that are mowed but never walked on or used for decoration -- the LA Times website reports today (Sept. 13, 2023).

The legislation targets grass along roads, in medians, outside businesses and in common areas of homeowners' associations.

The bill is now awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature. 

Elderly Billerica,MA Woman Attacked at Grocery Parking Lot; He Told Her "Give Me Your Wallet" But Fled Due to Her Alarm

 It was a normal day at the grocery store for Ruth Miller, a 76-year-old woman from Billerica, Masss. . ...until everything went wrong , the Yahoo News website reports today (Sept. 12, 2023).

She had just left the store and was carrying her bags to her car when a man grabbed her and told her "Don't fight, give me your wallet,"  as he tried to wrestle her purse away.

"I remembered I had my Safe Personal Alarm in my purse, sso I quickly reached for the alarm and pulled the pin. My alarm started screaming. He froze for a second, then ran away like a bat out of hell. People heard the alarm and started yelling and running over to help."

In the month of September alone, police have reported a dramatic increase in attacks targeting seniors, with many suffering serious injuries and financial loss. 

St, Peter's Basilica to Receive Statue of S. Korean Priest; More Proof of Pope Francis' Love Affair with Asia

 In yet another nod to Asia, and a further sign of Pope Francis's love affair with the continent, St. Peter's Basilica this week will receive a new marble statue of South Korean priest and martyr Andrew Kim Taegon, the Crux website reports today (Sept. 11, 2023).

After having announced in August that South Korea would host the next World Youth Day, Pope Francis returned from an Aug. 31 --Sept. 4 trip to Mongolia, his sixth outing to Asia.

Speaking to Fides News, a missionary news site attached to the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization, South Korean Cardinal Lazzaro Heung-Sik You said, "We were very happy that Pope Francis  wanted to accept our proposal. It is a great honor for our Korean Church, which is linked to the figure of this saint."

Officials: Japan's Mount Fuji Is in " Real Crisis;" No. of Tourists Must Be Brought under Control

 Local authorities have warned that Mount Fuji  -- one of Japan's sacred mountains and a popular pilgrimage site -- faces a real crisis if the number of visiting tourists is not brought under control, the RT website reports today (Sept. 10, 2023).

"Fuji is screaming in pain. We can't just wait for improvement," Masatake Izumi, a Yamanashi 

prefectural government official, said yesterday.

He added, "We fear that Mount Fuji will soon become so unattractive, nobody would want to climb it."

Powerful Quake in Morocco Kills 1,000 People; Damages Historic Bldgs. in Marrakech, 6.8 Mag.

 A rare monstrous earthquake struck Marrakech, Morocco last night, sending people from their beds into the streets and toppling buildings into mountainous villages and ancient cities not built to withstand such force, the Yahoo News website reports today (Sept. 9, 2023).

More than 1,000 people were killed, and the toll was expected to rise as rescuers struggled today to get through boulder-strewn roads to the remote areas hit hardest.

The magnitude-6.8 quake -- the biggest to hit Morocco in 120 years -- sent people fleeing into darkened streets in terror and disbelief.

UMich. Slammed for Kicking COVID Students off Campus; Policy Described by One Medical Prof. as Being "Cruel"

 The University of Michigan is requiring students to leave campus for at least five days if they test positive for COVID-19, a policy that one leading medical professor described as "cruel" and led  others to question  its wisdom, The College Fix website reports today (Sept. 8, 2023).

The policy also tells students that they must wear a mask for an additional five days after returning to campus. 

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of medicine and health policy at Stanford University, said the mandate could cause the virus to spread even more. 

Mayor Adams Says Migrants Wll "Destroy" NYC; Demands Fed. Govt. Addresses "National Crisis"

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams  predicted last night that the influx of more than 110,000 migrants will "destroy" New York City and continued his demands for the federal government to step up efforts to address  a "national crisis," the Daily News website reports today (Sept. 7, 2023).

Adams' comments represent perhaps his starkest rhetoric yet on the situation, which began to take shape in the spring of 2022 when asylum seekers started flooding into the city after crossing into American border states.

"I don't see an ending to this. This issue will destroy New York City. We're getting 10,000 migrants a month," he said at a town hall-style meeting on the Upper West Side. He added, "The city we knew, we're about to lose." 

UN Rips US Sending Uranium Rounds to Ukraine; US Sending Them as Part of $175M Deal

The UN condemned the use of depleted uranium ammunition today (Sept. 6, 2023) after the U.S. government said it would send Ukraine a number of such rounds for M1 Abrams tanks as part of a $175-million military aid package, the RT website reports. 

"We are against the use of depleted uranium ammunition anywhere in the world." Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told TASS.

Haq's comments came after the Pentagon revealed that an unspecified  number of 120mm DU rounds will be sent to Ukraine as part of the newest package of military assistance. 

Judge Rejects Sorority Lawsuit to Stop Man Joining; Says Security Bylaws Don't Define a Woman

 A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the induction of a male student into a sorority at the University of Wyoming, writing that the organization's bylaws don't define what a woman is, and the court would not offer that definition, the Christian Post website reports today (Sept. 4, 2023).

Six members of the University of Wyoming chapter of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority filed a lawsuit in April, claiming that the chapter is for women and that the induction of a trans-identified male student has made several girls uncomfortable.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs allege that sorority officials pressured the chapter to violate sorority rules to induct the male student, Artemis Langdford, in Sept. 2022.

Missionaries Report Muslims Meeting Jesus in Dreams; Tell Assembly of God News that God Answers Muslim Prayers

 Two Assembly of God missionaries are sharing multiple first-hand testimonies of Muslims coming to the Christian faith after encountering Jesus Christ in their dreams, the CBN website reports today (Sept.4, 2023).

James Bradford, the lead pastor at Central Assembly in Sprin

gfield, Missouri, and mssionary Dick Brogden told Assemblies of God News that God is answering the prayers of Christians who are praying for Muslims.

They report Muslims are meeting Jesus in their dreams and converting to Christianity at an alarming rate.

Teens Stabbed with Broken Beer Bottle; Happened in Robbery Attempt in Queens, N.Y.

Police are searching for two people accused of stabbing a pair of teenage boys during an  attempted robbery at a playground in Queens, N.Y., the CBS New York website reports today (Sept. 2, 2023).

It happened at the Junction Playground in Corona just after 2 a.m. on Aug. 26.

The stabbed teens were taken to Harlem Hospital in stable condition.

Exclusive! Famous Christian Pastor Flees Russia; Among Many Activists Opposing War in Ukraine

 Russia is deploying repressive and vicious tactics to silence its citizens who protest the government's war in Ukraine, the CBN website reports exclusively today (Sept.1, 2023).

Thousands of anti-war activists have been rounded up by the Kremlin. Among them, scores of Christians, including Yuri Sipko, one of Russia's most respected evangelical leaders who was forced to flee the country recently.

"I'm a wanted person. Security service agents are looking for me everywhere in the country. The moment I step foot back in Russia I will be arrested," Sipko told CBN news.