Senate Confirms Trump’s 51st Federal Appeals Court Judge
Andrew Brasher, Trump’s 51st federal appeals court judge, has been confirmed by the Senate. Brasher will take office with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to the Washington Times.
Senators voted along party lines, 52-43.
“My motto for the year is ‘leave no vacancy behind,’” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. After the vote, he also pitched four more judges for consideration later this week. They will likely be confirmed by the end of this week. Approximately 25 more district court nominees are waiting for confirmation, as well.
Trump has hit a record number of confirmations: 51 federal appeal court judges, 133 federal district court judges, and two Supreme Court judges.
“The smears by Senate Democrats and their leftwing allies against Judge Andrew Brasher are disgusting—but I’d expect nothing less from them. And thankfully, Judge Brasher (age 38) will soon be promoted to the 11th Circuit—for the rest of his long, long life,” said Mike Davis, president of the Article III Project.
Meanwhile, Democrats have become concerned about the influence the judges may have over several states.
“With this confirmation of Andrew Brasher, Donald Trump has now appointed half of the judges on the Eleventh Circuit, which serves Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. This is an alarming milestone that has serious implications for the voting rights of the people within those…
The much-documented decline in religious affiliation among United States citizens may finally be slowing down, according to recent research.
Melissa Deckman, a Public Affairs professor at Washington College and affiliated scholar with the Public Religion Research Institute, recently examined religious trends among millennials and Gen Z. She found that millennials, Americans born between 1981 and 1996, and Gen Z, Americans born after 1996, are “awfully similar” to each other regarding “religious affiliation and religious behavior.”
“… the percentage of Gen Z Americans who identify as religiously unaffiliated is similar to the Millennials found in PRRI’s 2016 American Values Survey,” wrote Deckman in a report published by Religion in Public, titled “Generation Z and Religion: What New Data Show.”
“In other words, it appears that the rate of younger Americans departing from organized religion is holding steady, so conflating Gen Zers with Millennials is not necessarily inappropriate when it comes to religious affiliation—at least so far.”
Comparing Gen Z individuals surveyed last year and millennials surveyed in 2016, she found an equal percentage identifying as religiously unaffiliated (38 percent).
Past research by various organizations, notably Pew Research Center, had reported declines in religious affiliation when comparing older generations of Americans to younger ones.
Citing other research, Deckman noted that the willingness to identify as “atheist” among Gen Z individuals was only “slightly higher” than millennials.
She did note that in some areas, Gen Z was more secular than the general population. For example, Gen Z was more likely than older generations to report rarely or never attending church and Gen Z had a smaller gender gap in religious practice than other generations.
“As is the case with church attendance, Gen Z women defy historical norms as they are just as likely to be religiously unaffiliated as Gen Z men,” she said.
Court in Pakistan Validates Forced Conversion, Marriage of Christian Girl to Muslim
LAHORE, Pakistan, February 12, 2020 (Morning Star News) – A high court ruling in Pakistan validating the marriage and forced conversion to Islam of a 14-year-old Christian girl has heightened fears that it will encourage others to commit such crimes, sources said.
The High Court in Sindh Province on Feb. 3 dismissed a petition to have the marriage and forced conversion of a Catholic girl overturned, ruling that both were valid since a girl under sharia (Islamic law) can marry after her first menstrual cycle.
Huma Younus was taken from her home in Karachi’s Zia Colony on Oct. 10 while her parents were away and was forced to marry the man who abducted her, identified as Abdul Jabbar of Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab Province, her attorney said.
“The hearing on Feb. 3 lasted only five minutes,” the family’s attorney, Tabassum Yousaf, told Morning Star News. “The court, in just a few words citing the sharia, has justified the violation of the girl’s body since she has already had her first period.”
Yousaf added that the family was prohibited from seeing Huma because police said her life would be at risk if she was brought to the courtroom.
He said the family challenged Huma’s marriage and forced conversion under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013, which declares marrying a person under 18 years old an offense punishable by up to three years in prison.
New Hampshire Holds First Presidential Primary of the 2020 Election
On Tuesday, New Hampshire hosted the first presidential primary of the 2020 Election.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who earned a bounce in the polls following a solid debate performance in last week’s Democratic debate, was out to an early—real early—lead Tuesday after three tiny townships held their election at midnight.
Just over two-dozen residents voted under the cover of darkness, giving the moderate Klobuchar eight votes. Projected front- runner Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, each garnered four votes. Former Vice President Joe Biden secured two votes, one less than entrepreneur Andrew Yang who won three votes. Biden, who is counting on South Carolina to reverse his campaign fortunes, left New Hampshire this morning to work on shoring up his votes in the Tar Heel state. Biden surprised many observers by conceding likely defeat during the Feb. 7 debate.
Also earning two votes in the early balloting were former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The New York billionaire, a late arrival to the campaign, decided to forgo campaigning in New Hampshire to focus on the delegate-rich Super Tuesday on March 3, in which voters from Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Democrats Abroad, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia all…
New Hampshire, with a population of 1,359,711, is smaller than forty-one other American states. Manchester is its largest city, with a population of 111,196. It would be the thirteenth-largest city in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, smaller than Denton but larger than Richardson.
And yet, all eyes today are on this state after yesterday’s Democratic Party primary won by Bernie Sanders. Although Pete Buttigieg finished a close second and Amy Klobuchar surged to third place, today’s New York Times is calling Sanders “the new front-runner of the 2020 Democratic primary.”
Such compromise, however, is at the heart of American democracy. Here we can learn a surprising lesson from history with strategic significance for Christians today.
The surprising sources of our republic
What source did the writers of the Constitution quote more than any other? The Bible. Who came in second? Charles de Montesquieu (1689–1755).
Historian William Federer notes that the French political philosopher was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson (who translated a commentary on his thought from the French). His ideas about governance were formative for Jefferson and others who formed our nation.
Montesquieu divided governments into three categories: republics, which rely on moral virtue; monarchs, which rely on honor and shame;…
BEIJING (AP) – China on Wednesday reported another drop in the number of new cases of a viral infection and 97 more deaths, pushing the total dead past 1,100 even as the country remains largely closed down to prevent the spread of the disease.
The National Health Commission on Wednesday said 2,015 new cases had been reported over the last 24 hours, declining for a second day. The total number of cases in mainland China is 44,653, although many experts say a large number of others infected have gone uncounted.
The 97 additional deaths from the virus raised the mainland toll to 1,113.
Despite the official end o the extended Lunar New Year holiday, China remained mostly closed for business as many remained at home, with some 60 million people under virtual quarantine.
The World Health Organization has named the disease caused by the virus as COVID-19, avoiding any animal or geographic designation to avoid stigmatization and to show the disease comes from a new coronavirus discovered in 2019.
The illness was first reported in December and connected to a food market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak has largely been concentrated.
China’s official media reported Tuesday that the top health officials in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, have been relieved of their duties. No reasons were given, although the province’s initial response was deemed slow and ineffective. Speculation that higher-level officials could be sacked has simmered, but doing so could spark political infighting and be a tacit admission of responsibility.
The virus outbreak has become the latest political challenge for the party and its leader, Xi Jinping, who despite accruing more political power than any Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, has struggled to handle crises on multiple fronts. These include a sharply slowing domestic economy, the trade war with the U.S. and push-back on China’s increasingly aggressive foreign policies.
Zhong Nanshan, a leading Chinese epidemiologist, said that while the virus outbreak in China may peak this month, the situation at the center of the crisis remains more challenging.
“We still need more time of hard working in Wuhan,” he said, describing the isolation of infected patients there a priorityon.
“We have to stop more people from being infected,” he said. “The problem of human to human transmission has not yet been resolved.”
Without enough facilities to handle the number of cases, Wuhan has been building prefabricated hospitals and converting a gym and other large spaces to house patients and try to isolate them from others.
The restart of business poses a risk of further spreading the virus, but China has little recourse, said Cong Liang, secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s main economic planning body.
“Without the reopening of businesses, in the short term, it will affect the supply of medical material and … in the long run, it will affect the supply of all kinds of production and life materials and will make the control and prevention efforts on the front line unsustainable. The target of defeating the epidemic will not be reached,” Cong said at a news conference.
In Hong Kong, authorities evacuated part of an apartment block after cases among its residents raised suspicion the virus may be spreading through the building’s plumbing. Three residents in one apartment were confirmed to have the virus days after a resident who lives 10 floors above them.
During the 2002-03 outbreak of SARS, an illness caused by a related virus, a number of infections in Hong Kong were linked to one building’s sewage pipes.
Hong Kong has confirmed 49 cases in the current outbreak.
Postal operators in the United States, China, Singapore and elsewhere said the suspension of flights to slow the virus spread was having a major impact on the global flow of letters and parcels.
The United States Postal Service informed its counterparts around the world on Tuesday that it was “experiencing significant difficulties” in dispatching letters, parcels and express mail to China, including Hong Kong and Macau, because airlines have suspended flights to those destinations.
It said the USPS said can no longer accept items destined for China “until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.”
The Universal Postal Union, a U.N. agency for postal cooperation between its 192 member countries, said the flight suspensions would impact mail delivery “for the foreseeable future.”
The Chinese mail service, China Post, said it was disinfecting postal offices, processing centers and vehicles to ensure the virus doesn’t spread via the mail and to protect postal staff.
The virus does “not survive for long on objects. It is therefore safe to receive postal items from China,” China Post said.
(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
I love the local church. I really do. Deeply. But, almost every church I know has members and attenders that get under the skin of a leader. Here are 10 of those types of people for me:
The “doom and gloom” member: Nothing ever goes right for this member, and it’s never his or her fault. I don’t even like to see this person coming my way.
The “on the edge of leaving” member: He’s always threatening to leave over something – so much so that you learn to ignore his threats (and frankly, wish he would leave)
The “amateur theologian” member: This member thinks he knows theology, and he’s always debating something. Usually, he has his own theological stance that he fights to defend and promote.
The “Did you know?” member: He wants to be “in the know” about everything in the church. In fact, he’s involved in almost all of the church’s gossip and gets angry when he’s out of the loop.
The “recommitment” member: She shows up about every six months, recommits her life to Jesus, and then disappears for the next six months.
The “constitutional lawyer” member: Nobody knows the church constitution like this member does, and he brings out the documents any time he doesn’t like something.
The “internet sermon troll” member: He listens to everybody else’s sermons online, and then critiques my sermons in light of others. Indeed, he listens for errors more than for truth and application for himself.
Mark Zuckerberg Says He’s Continuing to ‘Become More Religious’
When an on-stage interviewer recently asked Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, “Who are your mentors? Who do you call for advice?” he replied, “It’s different people for different things.” But then he immediately said, “I’ve become more religious.”
“Really,” said interviewer Cliff Betts, who sounded a bit surprised.
Zuckerberg tried to explain, saying, “I mean, that’s not really a mentorship thing, … but I do think that there’s a scale.
“I don’t know, the last few years have been really humbling for me. I thought I like knew a lot about how to build something and I don’t know. I think that there’s just a comfort in knowing and having confidence that there are things that are bigger than you.”
Zuckerberg and his flagship social media platform have recently faced complaints of anti-conservative bias and election influencing. After government investigations, the enterprise has attempted to mend its reputation.
The challenges of running a social media empire that also includes Instagram might be driving 35-year-old Zuckerberg’s feelings of humility. But also during the past few years, other experiences might have been clues to his move to a “more religious” life, which involves his family. He said they would always be more important to him than his work.
The president of Jackson State University has been arrested alongside a fellow employee as part of a prostitution sting in central Mississippi that involved 15 others.
William Bynum Jr., 57, and Shonda McCarthy were taken into custody this weekend after they responded to ad for prostitution services, listed on the ‘dark web’.
After agreeing on services with an undercover officer, they arrived together to the Fairfield Inn hotel near Interstate 20, where others were arrested for charges including prostitution and promoting prostitution.
‘We do believe that they arrived at the hotel together,’ spokesperson Mark Jones told the New York Post Tuesday.
William Bynum Jr., 57, and Shonda McCarthy were taken into custody this weekend after they responded to ad for prostitution services, listed on the ‘dark web’. After agreeing on services with an undercover officer, they arrived together to the Fairfield Inn hotel near Interstate 20, where others were arrested for charges including prostitution and promoting prostitution
Bynum had been president of Jackson State since 2017 after serving four years as president of Mississippi Valley State University. McCarthy, 46, the director of the Jackson State University art galleries
When asked why they were together, the rep said: ‘It’s pure speculation at this point. I guess that will come out at another time.’
Bynum was arrested late Saturday or early Sunday and charged with procuring services of a prostitute, false statement of identity and simple possession of marijuana.
When asked if Bynum tried to convince police he was someone else, Clinton Police Chief Ford Hayman said in a press conference Monday: ‘Without getting into particulars, yes, he was charged with that – providing a false identity.’
But he wouldn’t elaborate on their connection.
‘They were arrested,’ the police chief said Monday in a news conference. ‘It’s an ongoing investigation. As everybody that was arrested in this operation, an ad was online and they saw that ad, they called and set this up with our undercover officers. So that’s to the extent I can answer that question.’
According to the Clarion Ledger, he has been married for four decades and has six children.
He was released from jail Sunday after posting $3,000 bail. Bynum submitted his resignation Monday and it took effect immediately.
Images show her posing with hip-hop and fashion mogul Russell Simmons at an event for her brand. She appears alongside Russell’s nephew Jamel Simmons in a September 2009 image
An interview with Shonda McCarthy states that she used to live in New York and owned a popular boutique named Lolli by Reincarnation. But she moved back to Jackson to raise her son. Danny Simmons and his son, Jamel Simmons during Rush East New York Celebration Hosted By Russell Simmons at Time Warner Center in New York City
Within hours, the governing board for Mississippi’s eight public universities met and named another Jackson State administrator, Thomas Hudson, as interim president. Hudson has been special assistant to the president and chief diversity officer.
Bynum had been president of the 5,300-student Jackson State since 2017 after serving four years as president of Mississippi Valley State University.
A biography of Bynum on the Jackson State University website said his personal and professional motto is, ‘Look back and thank God. Look forward and trust God. Look around and serve God. Look within and find God.’
Bynum faced protests from some alumni and students when he was first chosen for the Jackson State presidency because he was not among the three initial finalists.
The university was having financial problems after overspending by a previous president. Bynum said the university would face three to five years of austerity.
‘I understand I may not be your choice,’ Bynum told one angry student in 2017. ‘All I say to you is, watch me work.’
McCarthy, 46, the director of the Jackson State University art galleries, was charged with procuring services of a prostitute and possession of marijuana while operating a motor vehicle.
McCarthy went by Shon (or Shonda) McCarthy Simmons in 2015, according to the Jackson Free Press.
An interview with her states that she used to live in New York and owned a popular boutique named Lolli by Reincarnation. The article states celebrities including Lindsay Lohan and Cameron Diaz purchased items she designed and sold.
Images show her posing with hip-hop and fashion mogul Russell Simmons at an event for her brand. She appears alongside Russell’s nephew Jamel Simmons in a September 2009 image.
Four suspects from Memphis are charged with promoting or conspiracy to promote prostitution as police said the suspects could be part of a multi-state prostitution ring. Pictured clockwise from top left; Alexis Miller, Temeela Palmer, Joseph Jones, and Jesus Porrata
Sheena Stanford (left), age 35, of Jackson, Mississippi: Promoting Prostitution. Sierra Case (right), age 23, of Jackson, Mississippi: Prostitution
Rosella Brown (left), age 25, of Canton, Mississippi: Prostitution. Naketa Williams (right), age 37, of Jackson, Mississippi: Prostitution
‘(Jackson), is a goldmine, and we don’t realize it,’ she told the publication at the time. ‘I had to move away from home (in 1999) and live in New York for 12 years to realize how great a place this is.’
The article states she moved back to Jackson to raise her son Cody who was six at the time.
According to the university website McCarthy is a member of the Advisory Board of Hip Hop Hall of Fame (Arts Education), New York, and the JSU Jazz Series Committee.
McCarthy was also released Sunday on $2,000 bail.
She and Bynum are due in court for their arraignment on March 11.
Four suspects from Memphis are charged with promoting or conspiracy to promote prostitution as police said the suspects could be part of a multi-state prostitution ring.
The Clinton Police Department did not identify any patterns or activity to suggest that prostitution or human trafficking is prevalent in Clinton.
The Clinton Police Department encourages anyone who might information pertaining to human trafficking to contact CPD or CRIMESTOPPERS with tips for further investigation.
National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888.
Steve Hampton (left), age 57, of Jackson, Mississippi: Promoting Prostitution, Possession of Crack Cocaine, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Eric Jackson (right), age 34, of Jackson, Mississippi: Promoting Prostitution
Fredrick Robinson (left), age 41, of Jackson, Mississippi: Promoting Prostitution. Anthony Bowman (right), age 48, of Vicksburg, Mississippi: Procuring Services of a Prostitute
Holly Ann Wheaton, age 35, of Springfield, Tennessee: Prostitution
Steve Hampton, age 57, of Jackson, Mississippi: Promoting Prostitution, Possession of Crack Cocaine, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Anthony Bowman, age 48, of Vicksburg, Mississippi: Procuring Services of a Prostitute
William Bynum Jr., age 57, of Jackson, Mississippi: Procuring Services of a Prostitute, False Statement of Identity, and Simple Possession of Marijuana.
Fredrick Robinson, age 41, of Jackson, Mississippi: Promoting Prostitution
Holly Ann Wheaton (left), age 35, of Springfield, Tennessee: Prostitution. Taylor Ducre (right), age 30, of Angie, Louisiana: Prostitution and Possession of Cocaine
Sierra Case, age 23, of Jackson, Mississippi: Prostitution
Sheena Stanford, age 35, of Jackson, Mississippi: Promoting Prostitution
Taylor Ducre, age 30, of Angie, Louisiana: Prostitution and Possession of Cocaine
Eric Jackson, age 34, of Jackson, Mississippi: Promoting Prostitution
Naketa Williams, age 37, of Jackson, Mississippi: Prostitution
Shonda McCarthy, age 46, of Jackson, Mississippi: Procuring Services of a Prostitute and Possession of Marijuana while Operating a Motor Vehicle.
Rosella Brown, age 25, of Canton, Mississippi: Prostitution
Alexis Miller, age 23, of Memphis, Tennessee: Conspiracy to Promote Prostitution
Temeela Palmer, age 31, of Memphis, Tennessee: Prostitution and Conspiracy to Promote Prostitution
Joseph Jones, age 30, of Memphis, Tennessee: Conspiracy to Promote Prostitution
Jesus Porrata, age 31, of Memphis, Tennessee: Promoting Prostitution
Dwayne Johnson’s 18-year-old daughter Simone Johnson is on her way to making wrestling history by starting her training with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Johnson, the daughter of Johnson and his first wife and current business partner Dany Garcia, started training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, according to the WWE.
While she still has a long way to go before becoming a full-fledged WWE Superstar, she will become the WWE’s first fourth-generation Superstar.
Johnson’s great grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia and grandfather, Rocky Johnson, are both WWE Hall of Famers and her father Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is still one of the most iconic modern-day wrestlers.
‘It means the world to me,’ Simone said in a statement. ‘To know that my family has such a personal connection to wrestling is really special to me and I feel grateful to have the opportunity, not only to wrestle, but to carry on that legacy.’
‘Simone Johnson’s unbridled passion and incredible drive has earned her a coveted spot training with the elite athletes from around the world at the WWE Performance Center,’ said Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative.
‘Not only does Simone now have an opportunity to cultivate and display her passion for WWE within the Performance Center, but she’ll carry on the tradition of her incredible family lineage while creating her own impact as WWE’s first fourth generation Superstar,’ Levesque added.
Simone also announced the news in a tweet, along with a photo of her from the WWE Performance Center.
‘For the little girl who fell in love with wrestling & was determined to make this dream a reality – this is for you. I’m beyond thankful for this opportunity & ready to get after it. Let’s do this,’ she said.
The 5-foot-10-inch Simone is being trained by a coaching staff lead by Performance Center head coach Matt Bloom (known as Prince Albert in his WWE Superstar days) and assistant head coach Sara Amato.
‘Simone knows she has a lot to learn. She’s hungry to learn and picks the coaches’ minds, and the veteran Superstars’, as well. She’s not going to rest on her laurels. It’s been a short time, but she’s been crushing it.’
‘Simone is a wonderful girl,’ Amato added. ‘She’s like a sponge, it’s pretty amazing. She knows what it takes to succeed and all the hard work and sacrifice that goes into it. I wouldn’t have expected anything less.’
Johnson’s mother Dany Garcia also shared the news on her Instagram page, with a photo of the mother holding Simone as a baby.
‘It’s been the blessing of my life to watch you grow @simoneGJohnson & while the legacy of the family may be your platform, your future will be uniquely yours to earn,’ Garcia began.
‘Congrats my love on living your dream & welcome to @WWENext @WWE!! #4thGenerationSuperstar,’ with The Rock responding, ‘Beautiful.’
Johnson will sit down for her first interview since joining the WWE Performance Center on Wednesday, February 12 at 3 PM ET on the WWE YouTube channel.
The interview will also include, ‘what The Rock thinks of Simone’s new venture’ as well, though The Rock has yet to post about his daughter on social media yet.
Simone Johnson was named the Golden Globe Ambassador at the 75th Golden Globes in January 2018.
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