In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• Letter To The President
• Supreme Court News
• News from Pakistan
• Americans Joining Terror Cells
• Canada: Terror Trial Ends
• Sunday: Call2Fall
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!
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The Daily Brief - Tuesday, June 29, 2010
"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31: 6)
The Daily Brief
1. Supreme Court Extends Gun Rights to States - Washington Times
The Supreme Court on Monday said the Second Amendment gives all Americans a right to keep and bear arms for self-defense that can't be infringed by state and local laws -- a landmark ruling likely to result in scores of lawsuits seeking to further test the boundaries of gun restrictions nationwide.
But Monday's ruling in McDonald v. City of Chicago establishes that the Second Amendment offers a fundamental right to gun ownership that can be enforced nationwide, not only against the federal government but also against the states.
• We thank you Lord, this decision was made in favor of citizen's rights and the Constitution. We pray that you will block all efforts to erode the rights of Americans. Fill the courts with god-fearing people.
• They encourage themselves in an evil matter; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, "Who will see them?" . . . So He will make them stumble over their own tongue; all who see them shall flee away. (Psalm 64:5, 8)
2. Feds Arrest 10 Accused of Being Russian Agents - CNN
The Justice Department said the 10 people arrested and another person not yet in custody were supposed to recruit intelligence agents, but were not directly involved in obtaining U.S. secrets themselves. All were charged with acting as agents of a foreign government, and nine also were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Farbiarz said search warrants in the case were being executed "across the country." He called the initial criminal complaint "the tip of the iceberg."
• Thank you Lord, for blocking these spies. Restore our hedge of protection, and guard us from attacks without, and from within. Forgive our sins and restore our hedges in order to protect our nation.
• And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." (Exodus 20:20)
3. Engineers Slow Drilling of Relief Well - USA Today
BP is capturing nearly 1 million gallons of oil a day in two containment systems. The company has begun installing a third system that could double the amount of oil captured by the first two systems. The new system could be disconnected quickly if a hurricane approaches, the company said.
Guard Adm. Thad Allen. Said Tropical Storm Alex, which is moving over Mexico toward Texas, has churned up the water in the Gulf. And Gulfport, Miss., expects oil to come ashore today, city spokesman Ryan LaFontaine said, "The timing of this could not be worse.".
• Lord, we pray that you will hold back the hurricanes and the oil from the coastlines of our nation. Give the engineers ideas to clean the oil spill quickly, without any more delays.
• 'Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. (Jeremiah 32:17)
4. Democrats, Again, Look for 60 Votes for Bank Bill - AP
A sweeping overhaul of financial regulations faced new obstacles in the Senate on Monday-the loss of one and potentially more crucial votes to guarantee its passage. The legislation would rewrite financial regulations, putting new limits on bank activities, creating an independent consumer protection bureau, and adding new rules for largely unregulated financial instruments.
• Heavenly Father, prevent them from getting these votes! We pray you will stop these officials who are assaulting our institutions and our economy. Stop them from creating more rules that would hinder our economy.
• Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you." (Matthew 12:25)
5. GOP Cuts Pork from Spending Diet Plan - Washington Times
The first spending bill to begin moving through Congress since House Republicans pledged to forgo earmarks shows the vow is working: The bill contains nearly 50 percent less in pork-barrel spending than last year's version. Earlier this year, House Republicans voted to impose a one-year ban on requesting earmarks, the items lawmakers insert into bills and reports to direct money to their states and districts back home. They said the early indications show that it's working.
• Thank you Lord, that the Republicans are finally getting a strong backbone to voice opposition - to not only pork spending - but other actions that would hurt our nation, whether they are economical or security bills.
• Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you." (Isaiah 35:4)
6. Gay Pride Marchers Celebrate with Parades, Parties - AP
Thousands of marchers and a rainbow of floats filled the streets of New York and other U.S. cities on Sunday as people celebrated gay pride, part of a weekend of events marred by a shooting death Saturday at a street party in San Francisco. The Chicago Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup title since 1961 this year, and the parade marks the first time the trophy has been on display at a gay-themed event, according to the Hockey Hall of Fame's Phil Pritchard.
• Lord, we pray that you will cause those who participate in this abomination to fear and honor you. We pray they learn to respect your laws. Bow their necks. Protect the innocent.
• "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words.' (Jeremiah 19:15)
7. White House Preparing National Online ID Plan - Information Week
The Obama administration is set to propose a new system for authenticating people, organizations and infrastructure on the Web. The online authentication and identity management system would be targeted at the transactional level -- for example, when someone logs into their banking website or completes an online e-commerce purchase.
• Lord, we unite in prayer against this National ID plan, as David came against Goliath. We come in the Name of the Lord! Every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess and every neck shall bow to Jesus! Amen!
• Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (1 Samuel 17:45)
8. Supreme Court to Hear Arizona Immigration Law Challenge - Reuters
The Obama administration last month urged the Supreme Court to rule that the 2007 law was preempted by federal immigration rules and would disrupt the careful legal balance that the U.S. Congress struck nearly 25 years ago.
The Arizona law suspends or revokes licenses to do business in the state in order to penalize employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. It also requires employers to use an electronic verification system to check the work-authorization status of employees through federal records.
• Lord, we pray that our government will have a strong interest in securing our borders. Cause them to honor states rights in protecting their borders, and let fair laws and courts be prevalent in our nation.
• Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. (Deuteronomy 16:18,19)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
Why should the nations say, "Where is now their God?" But our God is in the heavens - He has done whatsoever He has pleased. (Psalm 115:2,3)
1. 'Arab commandos' in Jerusalem? - Ynet News
A security firm that employs the veterans of elite British units will provide instruction to 80 Palestinian security guards to be deployed in east Jerusalem.
2. Hamas official: Wave of flotillas to sail for Israel after World Cup - Ha'aretz
Israel should expect at least eight more Gaza-bound ships headed in its direction shortly after the World Cup tournament, senior Hamas official Mahmoud A-Zahar told British daily The Independent on Monday.
3. U.S. voices frustration with Netanyahu over stalled proximity talks - Ha'aretz
U.S. envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell is frustrated by the conduct of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the proximity talks with the Palestinians. Mitchell, who is due in Israel on Thursday for another round of talks in Jerusalem and Ramallah, has expressed to Netanyahu his wish to see more progress by Israel on core issues.
4. Arab Israelis Charged in Terror Attacks - Jerusalem Post
Seven Israeli Arabs affiliated with al-Qaida and Global Jihad have been arrested for allegedly murdering a taxi driver last year, and carrying out a series of terrorist attacks against Christians and Jews, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) revealed on Monday.
5. Rival Hamas, UN Summer Camps Compete Over Children - ABC News
Masked men trashed a U.N. summer camp Monday, tying up guards and slashing tents and an inflatable pool in the second such attack blamed on suspected extremists in just over a month -- a sign of how, in Gaza, youth camp is not just about crafts and volleyball.
Letter To The President
Actor Jon Voight has evidently decided that he's ready to retire. He's become increasingly outspoken about his conservative views, and his latest open letter to President Obama may guarantee that his days in Hollywood are over. In accusing the president of "putting Israel in harm's way" and creating a "civil war" in Arizona, Voight voices the opinions of millions of Americans. We've posted the letter on our website, which you can read here. (Gary Bauer)
Supreme Court News
Supreme Court Rules Against Petition-Signers' Privacy
SUMMARY:
"Supreme Court ruled that the disclosure of petition signatures does not violate the First Amendment, but petition signers can still act to protect their privacy."
The U.S. Supreme Court, in an 8-1 ruling . . . denied the broad request of Protect Marriage Washington to keep private the identities of petition signatories. The group petitioned the Court to protect the privacy of 140,000 people who signed a petition supporting marriage and who were then subject to death threats, vandalism and job termination — all as a result of exercising their freedom to speak.
Justice Clarence Thomas was the lone dissenter. He underscored that a person's privacy rights trump transparency in politics.
"In my view, compelled disclosure of signed referendum and initiative petitions under the Washington Public Records severely burdens those rights," wrote Thomas," and chills citizen participation in the referendum process."
The Court did go to great lengths, however, to say that while the disclosure of petition signatures does not violate the First Amendment, signatories can still act to protect their privacy on hotly contested petitions.
"By itself, this decision is not controversial," said Bruce Hausknecht, CitizenLink judicial analyst.
"However, the most important aspect of the case -- whether or not the threat of intimidation and retaliation by GLBT groups against petition signers justifies nondisclosure -- has yet to be litigated."
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, left room for the pro-marriage group to go back to the lower courts and seek an exemption based on the violence and intimidation exhibited by homosexual activists during and after the referendum process.
"Pro-family supporters and citizens concerned by past aggressive behavior by gays and lesbians, following the Proposition 8 experience in California, need not fear today's decision," said Hausknecht. "We're expecting that as this case moves forward, the courts will properly protect the First Amendment rights of the Referendum 71 petition signers," added Hausknecht.
The case -- Doe v. Reed -- now goes back to the trial court. (CitizenLink; June 24, 2010)
News from Pakistan
Pakistani anti-terror court convicts 5 Americans
Five young American Muslims were convicted of plotting terrorist attacks and sentenced to 10 years in jail Thursday in a case that highlights concerns about Westerners traveling to Pakistan to link up with al-Qaida and other extremist groups.
Prosecutors said e-mail records, documents and witness statements proved the men from the Washington, D.C., area used the Internet to plot terror attacks in Pakistan and allied nations and meet militant organizations in the country. They sought life imprisonment for the defendants.
Defense lawyers said the evidence was faked and the men were innocent. They vowed to appeal. The father of one of the men said they were in Pakistan to attend his son's wedding, but had also intended to cross into Afghanistan for humanitarian work.
In November, family members in the United States informed authorities the men had gone to Pakistan after one left behind a farewell video showing scenes of war and casualties and saying Muslims must be defended. (AP) Read more.
Americans Joining Terror Cells
Dozens of Americans believed to have joined terrorists
Dozens of Americans have joined terrorist groups and are posing a threat to the United States and its interests abroad, the president's most senior adviser on counter-terrorism and homeland security said Thursday. "There are, in my mind, dozens of U.S. persons who are in different parts of the world, and they are very concerning to us," said John O. Brennan, deputy White House national security adviser for homeland security and counter-terrorism.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Times, Mr. Brennan said he would not talk about lists of targeted American terrorists. However, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies have been tracking down U.S. nationals and U.S. passport holders who pose security threats, like the Yemen-based al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, he said. "They are concerning to us, not just because of the passport they hold, but because they understand our operational environment here, they bring with them certain skills, whether it be language skills or familiarity with potential targets, and they are very worrisome, and we are determined to take away their ability to assist with terrorist attacks," Mr. Brennan said. (Washington Times) Read more.
Canada: Terror Trial Ends
Terror trial ends but extremism still growing
The final chapter in the story of the Toronto 18 terror cell closed Wednesday with convictions, but experts warn there is no end to the threat of homegrown religious extremism among Muslim youth. "There is some denial, and people are not willing to acknowledge that Muslims can cause damage to other people," said Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, an Islamic scholar who recently denounced extremism at a conference in Toronto that attracted about 500 youths. "But the majority of people are coming around to realize there is a problem."
Community members and security experts agree that youth are being radicalized in their own homes by tapping into an online jihadi cyberworld and also behind closed doors of private prayer rooms where firebrand religious ideologues go unchallenged. And increasingly, they are travelling overseas to countries such as Somalia and Pakistan to take up arms and fight jihad. The trend is especially troubling for Canada's spy agency, which is tracking more than 200 individuals with possible links to terrorism, and for police officers tasked with fighting terrorism in Toronto, the busiest unit in the country. (Toronto Star) Read more.
Sunday: Call2Fall
If My People, Who Are Called by My Name . . .
Faced with two wars, a devastating oil spill, and an administration bent on forcing sexual perversion on America, how can we possibly expect God to continue blessing this nation? The laundry list of problems keeps growing, but the most serious threat America faces is the silence of the Church.
As Christians, we must take God's admonition seriously that the healing power to change a nation is vested in His people--if, and only if, they "will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways . . ." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
God doesn't place the authority to change America in Washington's hands or Wall Street's powerful hands. He gives it exclusively to His church. And if there were ever a time that God's people should be praying, it's now.
Join us in following God's prescription for healing our land by signing up for Call2Fall on Sunday, July 4. Together with churches from across the nation, we recognize that the journey back to God, to His forgiveness and healing, begins on our knees in humility and repentant prayer. America needs a revival--and that revival starts with us. Are you "in?" Click here to sign up. (Family Research Council)
The Good News Corner
New Jersey Governor Cuts 'Family Planning' Funding
Gov. Chris Christie and the New Jersey Legislature will trim $29.4 million from the state budget, including $7.5 million for 58 family planning clinics.
Planned Parenthood of the Mercer Area released a statement saying the cuts will hurt women in the state; however, Len Deo, president and executive director of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, said it will save lives. Deo said he would expect nothing less from Gov. Christie. "He is pro-life," Deo said, "proudly pro-life."
Nevertheless, Democratic pro-abortion legislators vowed to restore the funding. Companion bills will be heard in the state Senate and Assembly and could be voted on as early as Monday.
Worship with Us Today!
Ready or Not . . . He's Coming Again! - The Paynes
Yes, He is . . . !!!!
