Guns in America: Nearly 40 million guns were purchased legally in 2020 and another 4.1 million bought in January
U.S. gun sales in January surged 60% to 4,137,480. This makes it the largest single month since figures started to be recorded in 1998.
Month: February 2021
House Passes Equality Act, Provides Civil Rights Protections To Gay And Transgender People
The House of Representatives passed the Equality Act on Thursday afternoon, which will impact abortion, marriage, family, gender, sports and more.
Dutch Nuclear Whistleblower Suddenly Dies At 76
Dutch whistleblower Frits Veerman, who was punished for turning in a colleague for selling nuclear secrets used to build Pakistan’s atomic bomb, has died.
Poll: 63% of white evangelicals believe Biden election was “not legitimate”
A post-election poll reveals that nearly two-thirds of white Evangelicals do not believe US President Joe Biden was elected legitimately, the Christian Post reports. The survey was conducted in January by the public policy research organization American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
India: Christian couple refuse to renounce faith in face of death threats and banishment
A husband and wife who refused to renounce their new-found faith in Christ have been banished and threatened with death if they return to their village home in India’s Odisha state, International Chrisitan Concern (ICC) reports. Jaga Padiami and his wife were driven from their home in the Malkangiri municipality after becoming Christians in December 2020.
Pelosi and Netanyahu discuss two-state solution in phone call
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone Wednesday and discussed, among other issues, a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ynet News reports.
Over 500 US evangelical pastors condemn ‘Radical Christian Nationalism’ in open letter
More than 500 US evangelical pastors and leaders have condemned ‘Radical Christian Nationalism’ in an open letter responding to the January 6 assault on the US Capitol, Religious News reports. Entitled “Evangelical Leaders Statement Condemning Christian Nationalism’s role in the January 6th Insurrection,” the letter explains the signatories come from diverse backgrounds and political persuasions, but stand together against ‘the perversion of the Christian faith” displayed at the insurrection, and against “the theology and the conditions” that led to the attack itself.
Federal judge in Houston indefinitely blocks Biden’s 100-day deportation pause
A federal judge in Houston late Tuesday banned the Biden administration from enforcing a 100-day moratorium on most deportations.
EU mulls vaccination passports to resurrect tourism after COVID-19
European Union leaders will agree on Thursday to work on certificates of vaccination for EU citizens who have had an anti-COVID shot, with southern EU countries that depend heavily on tourism desperate to rescue this summer’s holiday season.
‘Fairness for All’ Seen as Equality Act Alternative: Civil Liberties for LGBTQ, Protections for People of Faith
Lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are getting ready to decide on a landmark piece of LGBTQ legislation that would crush religious liberty.
Report: Israel, US to launch quiet talks on Iran in coming days
Jerusalem and Washington will launch strategic discussions on Iran in the coming days that will focus on the two nations’ intelligence on the Iranian nuclear program, according to a Wednesday report.
Minuteman III ICBM test launch hits its target, 4,200 miles away
A test of a Minuteman III missile, fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and landing 4,200 miles away, was a success, the Air Force said on Wednesday.
Israeli green pass system has gone into effect – leaving many Israelis barred from certain locations
Israel’s Health Ministry rolled out its “green passport” program requiring that citizens show their green badge in order to enter places such as registered gyms, swimming pools, hotels, theaters, places of worship and concerts. Restaurants and bars are expected to join the program in March.
Technology Executives Say All Evidence Points To Russia In Major Hack Of Computer Networks
Executives of U.S. technology companies told lawmakers on February 23 that a recent breach of corporate and government networks was so sophisticated that a nation had to be behind it and said all the evidence points to Russia.
Netanyahu: We aim to open the economy completely in April
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a special statement from Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer ahead of Purim, in which he also listed the five stages until the full opening of the economy after the closure.
Knesset passes law to give cities info on unvaccinated residents
The Knesset gave final approval on Wednesday to controversial legislation allowing the Health Ministry to give local authorities personal details of residents who have not been vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Nearly 8 million people suffering hunger in Central America, up from 2.2 million in 2018
The United Nations has reported a massive increase in the number of people suffering hunger in Central America over the last two years, Voice of America (VOA) reports.
Indonesia: Pentecostal congregation allowed to build a church as local official calls for religious tolerance
A Pentecostal church in Yogyakarta, Indonesia has again been granted permission to build a worship center after a previous construction permit (IMB) was revoked by local authorities in 2019, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Renewing permission to build a church, the local regent also called for tolerance of other religions in the community.
Survey: Majority of Biden voters do not believe God is all-powerful Creator
A survey published last week reveals that 63% of Biden voters do not believe “God is the “all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect and just creator,” although a majority identify as Christian, the Christian Post reports. The finding was made in the 2020 Post-Election Survey conducted by The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University.
Reported attack on youth leader highlights continued vulnerability of Christians in Sudan
Earlier this month a Christian youth leader in Sudan was reportedly detained and beaten by suspected national security forces because he spoke out against the January 3 burning of a church building, Morning Star News reports. The case highlights the continued vulnerability of Christians at a time of national transition from the brutal regime of Islamic dictator Omar al-Bashir (who was ousted in 2019) toward a government that seeks to root out long-term corruption and end religious intolerance in the country.