‘It is now time to open Texas 100%,’ Gov. Abbott says, reversing pandemic and mask orders
Texas GOP Gov. Gregg Abbott said Tuesday that he will reverse the mask order and many of the other COVID-19 mandates he put in place last year.
PLO
Largest US Christian adoption agency to place children with LGBT parents
As legal and cultural fighting continues over religious convictions and LGBTQ rights, America’s largest Christian adoption agency, Bethany Christian Services, has decided to change a longstanding policy and begin placing children with LGBT parents for foster care and adoption through all its offices in 32 states. Christianity Today reported Monday.
Israel Blames Iran For Ship Blast Near Hormuz, Shortly After US Bombed Iran-Backed Militias in Syria
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has pointed a finger at the Iranian regime after an Israeli-owned cargo vessel was damaged in an explosion near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, an incident recalling a series of maritime blasts in the region in 2019 which the U.S. blamed on Iran.
US ‘disappointed,’ but still open to Iran nuclear talks after Tehran’s rejection
The Biden administration said Sunday it remains open to talks with Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal despite Tehran’s rejection of an EU invitation to join a meeting with the US and the other original participants in the agreement.
House passes Equality bill to give biological males access to women’s dressing rooms, locker rooms
The US House of Representatives passed a sweeping bill Thursday that, in addition to prohibiting harassment, violence, and unfair treatment against LGBTQ people, also grants biological males who “identify” as females access to girls’ and women’s spaces, including restrooms, locker rooms, and dressing rooms, CNS News reports. The bill passed by 224 to 206 with 2 members not voting. Three Republican lawmakers voted in favor of it; no Democrats voted against it.
Armenia’s Political Tensions Escalate; Protestors Storm Government Building
Armenia’s political tensions escalated Monday, with protestors storming a government building in Yerevan, the capital, and opponents demonstrated nearby.
Iran Dismisses Idea of Talks With EU and U.S. to Revive 2015 Nuclear Deal
Iran on Sunday ruled out holding an informal meeting with the United States and European powers to discuss ways to salvage the unraveling 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, insisting that Washington must first lift all its unilateral sanctions.
House Republicans Push Bill Aimed at Balancing LGBT Rights and Religious Freedom
House Republicans are rallying around a compromise bill that would add protections for religious organizations in addition to granting discrimination protections to LGBT citizens. The bill comes one day after House Democrats passed the Equality Act, which critics say infringes on religious liberty rights and is likely to fail in the Senate.
Israel Says Iran Likely Behind Explosion On Israeli-Owned Cargo Ship
Top Israeli defense and political leaders are scheduled to meet on February 28 to discuss a response to what Israel’s defense minister says was likely an attack by Iran against an Israeli-owned cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman.
US strikes Iran-backed fighters in Syria, in 1st military action under Biden
The United States launched airstrikes in Syria on Thursday, targeting facilities near the Iraqi border used by Iranian-backed militia groups. The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a rocket attack in Iraq earlier this month that killed one civilian contractor and wounded a US service member and other coalition troops.
Once-secret FBI informant reports reveal wider-ranging operation to spy on Trump campaign
Once-secret reports show the FBI effort to spy on the Trump campaign was far wider than previously disclosed, as agents directed an undercover informant to make secret recordings, pressed for intelligence on numerous GOP figures, and sought to find “anyone in the Trump campaign” with ties to Russia who could acquire dirt “damaging to Hillary Clinton.”
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.
Palestinian Authority paid terrorists over $150 million in 2020
The Palestinian Authority paid more than NIS 512 million ($157m.) in salaries to incarcerated or released terrorists in 2020, Palestinian Media Watch reported Monday.
US wants to ‘strengthen’ Iran nuclear deal
The United States and its partners will work to “lengthen and strengthen” the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged at a UN-backed disarmament conference in Geneva on Monday.
Leading Rights Activist Faith McDonell Advocacy Director At GKI Global Amid Massive Persecution (Worthy News Focus)
Leading Christian rights activist, broadcaster, and author Faith McDonnell, has become director of advocacy at the U.S.-based Katartismos Global (KGI Global) charity. The group says it “exists to equip the Church for mission and ministry” by supporting persecuted Christians and other believers in need.
IAEA found uranium traces at two sites Iran barred it from, sources say
The U.N. nuclear watchdog found uranium particles at two Iranian sites it inspected after months of stonewalling, diplomats say, and it is preparing to rebuke Tehran for failing to explain, possibly complicating U.S. efforts to revive nuclear diplomacy.
Biden team colluded with Iran to foil Trump diplomacy
President Trump in 2019 sought to open a backchannel of communication with top Iranian officials and saw the U.N. General Assembly meeting in September as a potential opportunity to defuse escalating tension with Tehran, but the effort failed.
U.S. Commander Says Military Seeks ‘Fallback’ Saudi Bases Amid Tensions With Iran
The commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East says the U.S. military is looking for so-called “fallback” bases in Saudi Arabia to protect forces in the event of raised tensions with Iran.
Weekly jobless claims rose to 861,000 last week, up from week before
The US Labor Department announced Thursday that the number of first-time jobless claims increased to 861,000 for the week ending Feb 13, around 13,000 more than the prior week, Just the News reports. The number of claims for last week reflects the global economy that continues to struggle under the impact of COVID-19.
US says it’s ready to restart talks with Iran on its nuclear program
The Biden administration said Thursday it’s ready to join talks with Iran and world powers to discuss a return to the 2015 nuclear deal. It’s also reversed the Trump administration’s determination that all UN sanctions against Iran had been restored and eased stringent restrictions on the domestic US travel of Iranian diplomats posted to the United Nations.