Monday, February 5th, in the year of our Lord 2018
By Adam McManus
Trump & GOP: FBI Is Politically Motivated
With President Donald Trump’s blessing, Republican lawmakers on Friday released a classified GOP-drafted memo that alleges misconduct by senior FBI officials investigating Trump’s 2016 campaign, reports Politico.com.
According to The Daily Caller, the FBI relied heavily on the dubious Steele dossier — written by Christopher Steele, the former British spy who desperately wanted to prevent Trump from getting elected — in order to obtain a surveillance warrant against a Trump campaign adviser prior to the 2016 election.
Republican Congressman Devin Nunes, chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, appeared on Fox News to explain why this was a clear abuse of power on the part of the FBI.
“This is not going after some terrorist. The FBI opened a counter-intelligence investigation into the Trump campaign in the summer of 2016. That’s what happened. And then they got a warrant on someone in the Trump campaign using opposition research, paid for by the Democrat Party and the Hillary Clinton campaign. That’s what this is about and it’s wrong and it should never be done.”
Trump’s Soaring Approval Rating
President Donald Trump‘s approval rating jumped to 49% on Friday following a State of the Union address that was widely received as a success, according to a Rasmussen Reports daily tracking poll.
A CBS poll conducted Tuesday evening showed that 75 percent of Americans who watched the speech liked what they heard.
Eight in 10 Americans who watched felt that the president was trying to unite the country, rather than divide it. And two-thirds said the speech made them feel proud.
Flu Claims 53 American Children
Sixteen children died from the flu last week, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its weekly flu report, bringing the total number of pediatric flu-related deaths to 53 for the season, which began in October, reports CNN.
Prayer of Blessing for Abortionists?
It was a heretical prayer if there ever was one.
Last Monday, Rev. Carlton Veazey, president of the pro-abortion group called “Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice”, prayed this prayer for the abortionist and his assistants in front of a Bethesda, Maryland abortion mill. “God of grace and God of glory, in whom we move and live, keep them safe and keep them strong. And may they always know that all that they do is for Thy glory.”
According to The Christian Post, Veazey had the gall to pray that obscene prayer for Nevada-based late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart.
God declares in Ezekiel 13:9, “My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations.”
The Passion of the Christ Sequel
Actor Jim Caviezel, who famously portrayed Jesus in the 2004 blockbuster hit “Passion of the Christ,” confirmed that he will reprise his role in the highly anticipated Mel Gibson sequel, reports The Christian Post.
“Resurrection” will reportedly explore the three days between Jesus’ death and His return to life.
Despite its lack of industry support, Passion of the Christ earned a staggering $612 million worldwide with a production budget of just $30 million.
After receiving three Oscar nominations at the 77th Academy Awards, the film did not get one. Surprise, surprise.
New Film on the Late Mr. Rogers
Tom Hanks will play beloved minister and TV icon Fred Rogers, popularly known as Mr. Rogers from the classic TV show “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” in an upcoming film, titled “You Are My Friend.”
It will follow the friendship of Rogers and cynical journalist Tom Junod, who begrudgingly wrote about Mr. Rogers and was transformed by his surprising new-found friendship.
Junod’s profile on Rogers entitled, “Can You Say… Hero?” was published in Esquire Magazine in 1998 in which the journalist talks about how he learned to pray. The piece gives readers a feel for Rogers’ essence, while exploring what he thinks children lose as they grow up.
Mr. Rogers embodied Colossians 3:12. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Fake Churches in North Korea
Have you heard about fake churches in North Korea? Stay tuned for a World View Special Report by Emily Swanson immediately following today’s newscast.
Tallest Cross in Western Hemisphere Coming to Corpus Christi
And finally, construction will soon begin in Corpus Christi, Texas on what will be the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere. According to the Corpus Christi Caller Times, the cross, to be erected by Abundant Life Fellowship, will stand 230 feet tall and 95 feet wide.
Councilwoman Lucy Rubio said, “I think it’s wonderful for Corpus Christi — we are the ‘body of Christ.’”
Closing Line
And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes on this Monday, February 5th in the year of our Lord 2018. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. Seize the day for Jesus Christ.
Print stories
Pentagon Reverses Obama’s Anti-nuclear Policy
The Pentagon released a new nuclear arms policy Friday that effectively ended and reversed former President Obama’s efforts to reduce the size and scope of the U.S. arsenal, reports The Washington Post.
While Obama was cutting America’s nuclear arsenal, Russia, China and North Korea were simultaneously increasing their nuclear weapons capabilities.
As President Ronald Reagan rightly said, “Peace through strength.”
Stephen King Insults Republicans
Horror author Stephen King wrote a horrific tweet.
After a train carrying dozens of members of Congress, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, hit a truck in West Virginia on the way to a Republican retreat, King wrote, “A trainload of Republicans on their way to a pricey retreat hit a garbage truck. My friend Russ calls that karma.”
After learning that the truck driver was injured, and possibly killed, he backpedaled nearly four hours later, writing, “A rather thoughtless tweet from me concerning the train-truck crash, for which I apologize (if one is necessary). It should be pointed out, too, that those Republican politicians, who can be heartless when they vote, immediately got out to help.”
Students at Government Schools Less Likely to Get Married, Have Children
Generation X and millennial-aged adults who attend evangelical Protestant schools are more likely to get married and have children than their peers who attended government schools, according to the Canada-based think tank Cardus.
The report also found that young adults educated at evangelical Protestant schools are more likely to read the Bible, attend worship, and pray than those who attended public schools.
Bitcoin Bites the Dust
The digital currency called Bitcoin plunged below $8,000 in intraday trading, extending its sharp rout since the start of the year in a selloff triggered by a widening regulatory crackdown on cryptocurrencies, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Trump’s Promise of “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” Comes True
US job creation accelerated in January, adding 200,000 net new positions last month, driven by gains in construction, retail, restaurants and health care, reports the Labor Department.
Stocks Take a Satanic Stumble
U.S. stocks fell sharply on Friday after a stronger-than-expected jobs report sent interest rates higher, reports CNBC.
The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 666 points.
British Lesbians Put Babies at Risk in Petri Dish
British doctors have been granted permission to create Britain’s first “three-person babies” for two women who are at risk of passing on devastating and incurable genetic diseases to their children, reports The Guardian.
The Newcastle Fertility Centre will now attempt to create embryos for the women by merging fertilized eggs created through standard IVF with DNA from female donors, a radical IVF procedure that was made legal by parliamentary vote in 2015.
The Most Hated American Companies
Here’s a quick rundown of a handful of the most hated U.S. companies, according to 24/7 Wall St., which took customer surveys, employee reviews and news events into account in devising its list.
The Weinstein Company. The ouster of co-founder Harvey Weinstein following multiple accounts of sexual abuse hasn’t lessened public outrage at the one-time darling of independent film.
United Airlines. The Chicago-based carrier is still in the dog house with customers after a video of a passenger being forcibly removed from his seat on an overbooked flight went viral last year.
Facebook. The social-media platform’s role in the 2016 presidential election has been the subject of much debate, with Facebook hit for being a medium for deceptive ads and fake news.
Monsanto. Over the past century, the chemical company has drawn public ire at a lengthy list of harmful products, including DDT, PCBs and Agent Orange. Most recently, it’s accused of causing cancer in hundreds exposed to its weed killer, Roundup.
Uber. The ride-sharing app had a difficult time in 2017. Hit by complaints of sexual harassment at the company and a video of its then-CEO Travis Kalanick arguing with an Uber driver, the company last year faced a slew of lawsuit and saw 13 executives resign, including Kalanick.
Wells Fargo. The bank’s ongoing public relations nightmare began in 2016 with the disclosure that its employees created millions of phony accounts on behalf of unknowing customers, and continued with news last year that Wells Fargo charged late fees on mortgage payments when the bank was to blame, not its customers.
Spirit Airlines. The carrier’s no-frills, inexpensive flights come with a cost: low customer satisfaction.
NFL. The National Football League took more than two decades to acknowledge the long-term impact of head injuries on its players. NFL’s viewership fell last year due to controversy over some of its players kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial inequality.
Equifax. The consumer credit reporting was hit by a massive hack last year, exposing the personal data of more than 145 million Americans and putting them at risk of identity theft. Arguably worse, the company sat on the information for a month before letting the public know.
Democrats Are Broke
The Democratic Party is carrying more than $6 million in debt, according to year-end filings — and has just $6.5 million in the bank, reports TheWeek.com.
The Republican National Committee had raised $132 million by the end of 2017 — about twice as much as the DNC — and entered 2018 with almost $40 million to spare, with not a penny of debt.
Pope Raises Eyebrows in China
Pope Francis has made a puzzling decision.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Pope Francis replaced two Chinese bishops loyal to Rome with selectees of the country’s Communist government, drawing cries of betrayal from advocates of the country’s long-persecuted “underground” church.
Perhaps the Bishop of Rome is hoping for the possible re-establishment of diplomatic ties broken in 1951, but at what cost?
Superbowl Viewers Down, Ad Prices Up
Despite the fact that the NFL has lost millions of viewers in recent years – a drop of 10% of viewers in 2017 alone, advertisers stuck around anyway, paying $505,000 for a 30-second Super Bowl ad, reports The Washington Post.
Of the 50 most-watched programs on television in 2017, NFL games accounted for 39, compared with 42 two years earlier, according to Nielsen data.