Franklin Graham Blasts Biden's Love of Abortion; Biden Must Recognize Abortion Is Murder,Stop It

Evangelical Christian leader Franklin Graham, son of the late world famous evangelist Billy Graham, said he is praying that President Joe Biden's eyes will be opened to the truth about abortion, the Print Friendly website reports today (March 22, 2021).

Writing March 19 on Facebook, Graham said, "President Biden should consider that, in God's eyes, abortion is murder."

Graham added that Biden claims he is a devout Catholic, but his radical pro-abortion views have drawn criticism from Catholic and Protestant leaders. Among other things, Biden signed a COVID-19 relief bill that has no limits on taxpayer funding for abortions. 

US Sec. of Defense Visits Afghanistan to End War; Afghan War Is 20 Yrs. Old, Longest in US History

 U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin touched down in Afghanistan today (March 21, 2021), making an unannounced visit as the Biden administration wrestles with how to end its role in a war that is 20 years old -- the longest in American history -- without allowing security to disintegrate, according to the Washington Post website.

Austin, the retired Army general selected by President Biden to run the Pentagon, flew into Kabul's international airport before boarding a Black Hawk helicopter to meet with officials that included Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, U.S. diplomat Ross Wilson and Army Gen. Austin "Scott" Miller, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.

Austin told reporters traveling with him in Kabul that senior U.S. officials want to see "a responsible end to this conflict" and  "a transition to something else."

Erdogan Annuls Turkey's Treaty against Violence; Seen as Blow to Women's Rights, Cutting Violence

Turkey has withdrawn from a landmark European treaty protecting women from violence that it was the first to sign 10 years ago, provoking a wave of anger at a time when attacks have been on the rise, the Euro News website reports today (March 20, 2021).

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree today annulling Turkey's ratification of the Istanbul Convention, named after the country's largest city.

His move is a blow to women's rights advocates who say the agreement is crucial to combating domestic violence. 

CDC: 3 Feet between Students in Schools Is OK; Schools Can Have Full-Time In-Person Classes

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised its guidelines for schools today (March 19, 2021), saying three feet of distance between students is sufficient for all elementary and many middle and high schools, a change that lays the groundwork for districts to reopen full-time for in-person classes, according to the Washington Post website.

The announcement came as the CDC published new research that found limited coronavirus transmission in schools that require masks but not always six feet of distance, which had been the standard. 

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement today: "CDC is committed to leading with science and updating our guidance as new evidence emerges. These updated recommendations provide the evidence-based roadmap to help schools reopen safely, and remain open, for in-person instruction."

House Removes Deadline for States to Pass ERA; Three-Fourths of States Must Ratify ERA to Pass

 The U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday to remove a deadline for states to ratify the decades-old Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) -- making another attempt at getting the landmark proposal enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, the UPI website reports today (March 18, 2021).

Lawmakers voted 222-204 along party lines with four Republicans joining Democrats to remove the deadline for three-fourths of states to ratify the ERA, which would add a 28th Amendment to the Constitution that bans denial of equal rights on the basis of sex. 

After the House voted to remove the deadline, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), who introduced the resolution in January, said that women simply want to be included in the Constitution and have a guarantee of equal rights. 

Vatican Ban on Same-Sex Couples Prompts Pain; Ruling Sparks Defiance, Refutal by Many Clergy

 The Vatican's recent directive banning the blessing of same-sex unions has sparked defiance among some priests in Europe and left bishops perplexed on how to minister to gay Catholics, the Reuters website reports today (March 17, 2021).

Conservatives praised the ruling issued on March 15 by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, but it disappointed gay Catholics.

"I feel vicarious shame for my Church," Johan Bonny, the Roman Catholic bishop of Antwerp, Belgium wrote in a commentary today in the Flemish newspaper De Standard.

Mexico Has More Migrants Than Past 20 Yrs.; Biden to Allow Over 4K Sole Children into US

 The U.S. is set to encounter more migrants on its southwestern border with Mexico than it had over the past 20 years, warns Secretary of Homeland Security, defending Washington's handling of the ongoing influx of unaccompanied child migrants, the RT website reports today (March 15, 2021).

The prediction was made today by the chief of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Alejandro Mayorkas.

The influx of unaccompanied children -- about 4,300 of them -- desiring t o stay in the U.S., comes after President Joe Biden's decision to let all minors in the U.S.