Sky News reports:
Bill Kochevar, 56, was paralysed below his shoulders in a cycling accident eight years ago but can now grasp and lift objects after having two pill-sized electrodes implanted in his brain.
The electrodes record the activity of brain neurons to generate signals that tell another device to stimulate muscles in the paralysed limb.
During trials held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, Mr Kochevar raised a mug of water to his lips and drank from a straw.
Finally, some good news to report. As it turns out, butter may actually be a more healthy choice than the “white bread or potato on which it is commonly spread,” even though we’ve been led to believe that “a pat of butter a week will lead to heart disease, diabetes, the Bubonic plague and the burning in hell for all eternity.” Lisa Fogarty of LifeZette has the story:
You thought you were doing the right thing all of these years. You’ve been saying “no” to butter and watching in horror (and envy) as your co-workers slather their corn muffins with the delectable saturated fat — all the while attempting to convince yourself that hummus or worse, Vegemite, is a superior spread substitute.
You’ve been led to believe even a pat of butter a week will lead to heart disease, diabetes, the Bubonic plague and the burning in hell for all eternity. You’re not at fault for thinking butter is the culinary Lucifer.
But it’s all been a lie. Lies!
Christian News reports:
The Democratic governor of Virginia has vetoed a religious freedom bill which would have prohibited the government from punishing those who believe in biblical marriage and conduct their public lives in accordance with that conviction.
“Although couched as a ‘religious freedom’ bill, this legislation is nothing more than an attempt to stigmatize,” Gov. Terry McAuliffe asserted in a statement on Thursday in rejecting S.B. 2314 and H.B. 2025.
“No person shall be required to participate in the solemnization of any marriage, or subject to any penalty by the Commonwealth, or its political subdivisions or representatives or agents, notwithstanding any other provision of law, solely on account of such person’s belief, speech, or action in accordance with a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman,” the vetoed legislation read.
LifeZette has a new study on the benefits of moderate drinking — better heart health!:
Looks like indulging in your favorite pint of beer might be not be so bad for you after all. That’s right: A new study published in the British Medical Journal has found that consuming within the recommended limits of around 1 1/2 bottles of wine or seven pints of beer per week could actually lower your risk of getting certain heart diseases.
So, what exactly did this study determine about the effects of alcohol on your heart? Researchers at the University of Cambridge and University College London analyzed data from almost 2 million people in the U.K. — and found that those who do not drink at all, or who drink heavy doses, are more likely to be affected by certain heart conditions, including stroke and heart attack, than moderate drinkers.
According to Breitbart:
The Canadian House of Commons has passed motion M103 which singles out the criticism of Islam as a form of “Islamophobia”. Critics condemn it as an attack on free speech.
Motion M103 was tabled by Iqra Khalid, a Muslim member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party. It states the government must “condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination”, was taken to vote on Thursday evening where a total of 201 MPs voted for it and only 91 voted against, Canadian broadcaster Global News reports.
Christian News reports:
Photo credit Amazon.com
A school district in North Carolina has pulled a book that was set to be a part of First Grade curriculum after teachers and lawmakers complained about its content regarding a little boy who liked to wear dresses.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools had originally planned to make the book “Jacob’s New Dress” a part of the anti-bullying reading plan for Child Abuse Prevention Month. The 2014 book, written by Sarah and Ian Hoffman, is meant to teach children about those who are “gender non-conforming.”
“Jacob’s New Dress” is a story about a boy who likes to wear a princess dress for playtime at school, but is teased by his peers.
“Not very long ago little girls couldn’t wear pants. Can you imagine that?” the teacher tells the class in urging them to be accepting of the child’s dress-wearing.
Politico reports:
Facing a growing rebellion within his own ranks, House Speaker Paul Ryan pulled the Republican Obamacare replacement plan from the House floor on Friday just before a scheduled vote.
The decision is a staggering defeat for Ryan and President Donald Trump in their first attempt to partner on major legislation and fulfill a seven-year Republican promise to repeal Obamacare. It comes a day after Trump issued an ultimatum to House Republicans to vote for the bill or live with Obamacare.
CNSNews reports:
Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday morning, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he has come to a decision about the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch.
“After careful deliberation, I have concluded that I cannot support Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court,” Schumer said. “His nomination will have a cloture vote. He will have to earn 60 votes for confirmation.
“My vote will be no. And I urge my colleagues to do the same.”
From the editors of Technocracy News: The future of warfare will be decided by technology-crazed Technocrats who invent because they can, not because they need to. Now that an global arms-race has broken out, there is no way to stop the oneupmanship competition to get smaller, more clever and more deadly: Weaponized technology designed to kill humans.
Now to CNBC’s report:
Several countries are developing nanoweapons that could unleash attacks using mini-nuclear bombs and insect-like lethal robots.
While it may be the stuff of science fiction today, the advancement of nanotechnology in the coming years will make it a bigger threat to humanity than conventional nuclear weapons, according to an expert. The U.S., Russia and China are believed to be investing billions on nanoweapons research.
“Nanobots are the real concern about wiping out humanity because they can be weapons of mass destruction,” said Louis Del Monte, a Minnesota-based physicist and futurist. He’s the author of a just released book entitled “Nanoweapons: A Growing Threat To Humanity.”
Christian News reports:
Respected preacher and HeartCry Missionary Founder Paul Washer suffered a heart attack Monday night and is in stable condition, according to information released by his missionary society.
“Paul Washer suffered a heart attack last night. He is in stable condition,” his social media pages simply read Tuesday morning.
By the afternoon, an update advised that Washer was improving, albeit slowly. HeartCry Missionary Society has requested continued prayer.
In the meantime, messages of support have poured in from around the world for Washer.
Baptist Press reports:
An extended statement, “Seeking Unity in the Southern Baptist Convention,” has been issued by Russell Moore and the executive committee of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
Moore, in a 1,691-word portion of the March 20 statement, clarified criticism he had leveled at Christians who supported Donald Trump for president in the November 2016 election.
The ERLC executive committee, in a 536-word portion of the statement, affirmed Moore’s ongoing leadership as president of the SBC entity.
The ERLC executive committee acknowledged criticisms of Moore and stated “we are convinced that Dr. Moore has sought to be attentive and responsive to those who have brought concerns to him.”
“We realize that divisions do not heal overnight, and as needs arise our Board will be happy to address them. But in terms of leadership and support, Dr. Moore is the man to whom it has been entrusted to lead this entity — speaking prophetically both to our culture and to our Convention. He will continue doing so with the confidence of our support,” the ERLC executive committee stated.
According to The Telegraph, a British obstetrician and gynecologist, who is also a member of the British Medical Association, says a woman should have the right to destroy the unborn baby she is carrying simply because her baby is not of the biological sex she desires:
Forcing pregnant women who do not want a child of one sex or the other to give birth could harm both the baby and the mother’s mental health, a leading doctors’ union member has said.
Prof Wendy Savage, a voting member of the British Medical Association Council, also said women should have the right to terminate a pregnancy at any stage.
The comments by Prof Savage, a women’s rights campaigner and retired obstetrician and gynaecologist, come after a proposal to decriminalise terminations passed the first hurdle in the House of Commons last week.
Her intervention is likely to spark a strong reaction from campaigners on both sides of the argument.
It appears that Bethel, a Christian university, has been swayed by postmodernism and will disregard the inspired Word of God’s depiction of gender roles and bow to the god of political correctness. Campus Reform has the story:
Bethel University is encouraging its faculty “to be clear in our Christian witness” by eschewing masculine terminology, despite the Bible consistently referring to humans as “man” or “mankind.”
A guide published by the Bethel library called “Language is a Powerful Tool” tells Bethel employees that their Christian faith and the Bible compel them to use inclusive language.
“The Bible teaches us to value all people because they are created in God’s image,” the guide begins. “Some traditional uses of language have been perceived as excluding a substantial group of people. To be clear in our Christian witness, the Bethel faculty encourages the use of inclusive language.”
One general guideline states that employees should “avoid using masculine terms to refer to people who may be either male or female,” urging them to “use a substitute for words like ‘man or ‘mankind’ when you mean a more inclusive term” and suggesting several “adequate substitutes.”
ChristianHeadlines reports:
A new report by Faith Driven Consumer (FDC) has revealed that the majority of consumers whose faith influences their decisions are less likely to see Disney’s remake of Beauty and the Beast due to the film’s inclusion of a gay character.
As ChristianHeadlines.com previously reported, the remake features a character who experiences same-sex attraction to the film’s villain, Gaston.
“LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston,” movie director Bill Condon said of the character, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“He’s confused about what he wants,” Condon continued. “It’s somebody who’s just realizing that he has these feelings. And Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that’s what has its payoff at the end, which I don’t want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.”
Christian News has the story:
Photo credit: Instagram
A mother and son from Michigan are going public regarding their quest to “transition” into father and daughter.
Erica Maison and her 15-year-old son Corey recently appeared on Australia’s “60 Minutes” to talk about the matter. The younger Maison said that he came to his parents four years ago and disclosed that he felt like a girl rather than a boy.
“They were very supportive,” Maison advised. “They would always make sure that I was happy, [and] make sure that I was safe too.
A 2015 YouTube video, which to date has over seven million views, shows Maison being gifted with a box of female hormones, which his mother hid under the sofa pillow.
According to Townhall:
Speaking to reporters yesterday from the White House briefing room, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney was asked about the elimination of funding for climate change research in President Trump’s budget. Mulvaney didn’t mince words with his answer.
“Part of your answer is focusing on efficiencies and focusing on doing what we do better. As to climate change, I think the President was fairly straightforward saying we’re not spending money on that anymore,” Mulvaney said. “We consider that to be a waste of your money to go out and do that. So that is a specific tie to his campaign.”
According to The Wrap:
President Donald Trump made good on a long-time conservative goal in his first proposed budget Thursday morning, targeting the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities for complete elimination.
Trump’s budget would zero out the $445 million budget for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a relatively small source of funding for programming and broadcast operations on public TV stations and NPR radio stations nationwide, per the Washington Post.
The budget would also eliminate the budgets for both national endowments, which stood at $148 million each in 2016, as well as $230 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which supports libraries and museums. Additional cuts would affect two tourist mainstays in Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Institution and the National Gallery of Art.
Bloomberg reports that Republicans are abandoning their pledge to fight climate change. According to Technocracy News: Trump’s campaign pledge to fight global warming is becoming increasingly moot as his elected constituents turn in the opposite direction. Climate warmists may or may not not realize that they are promoting Technocracy, Sustainable Development and Green Economy that will eventually destroy America.
Now to Bloomberg’s report:
Seventeen conservative Republican members of Congress—10 of them in their first or second terms—are bucking long-time party positions and the new occupant of the White House. They announced on Wednesday that they’re supporting a clear statement about the risks associated with climate change, as well as principles for how best to fight it.
Called the “Republican Climate Resolution” by supporters, the statement by House members takes about 450 words to mention conservative thought on environmentalism, support for climate science, feared impacts, and a call for economically viable policy. They pledge in general terms to support study and mitigation measures, “using our tradition of American ingenuity, innovation, and exceptionalism.”
According to Breitbart:
As President Donald Trump plans a slew of policies that could dismantle key parts of Barack Obama’s presidential legacy, the former president seems to be returning to his roots as a Saul Alinsky-style radical community organizer.
This time Obama and his associates’ objective is to stop Trump’s domestic and foreign policy agendas on virtually all fronts – immigration reform, border security, the roll back of the controversial Obamacare system and more. According to some accounts, Obama and his associates may be seeking no less than Trump’s impeachment.
Breitbart has a video showing environmentalist wackos vandalizing Trump’s golf course:
According to a report by the Washington Post, an “anonymous environmental activist collective” decided to vandalize the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA over President Donald Trump’s “blatant disregard” for the environment.
The group snuck into the golf course Sunday morning and carved the words “NO MORE TIGERS. NO MORE WOODS.”
“In response to the president’s recent decision to gut our existing protection policies, direct action was conceived and executed on the green of his California golf course in the form of a simple message: NO MORE TIGERS. NO MORE WOODS,” the group said in a statement released to the Post.
LifeZette reports:
A campaign is underway to “push back against Chinese influence in Hollywood.”
As Chinese investments in Hollywood grow, America is at risk of losing its leadership role in the arts. Jobs and productions are beginning to be exported to other countries, films are recut to meet the stringent restrictions of the Chinese government — and companies like Legendary (“Fast and Furious” and “Jurassic World” franchises) have been bought up by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda.
Christian News reports:
A New York judge has awarded tri-custody to a former couple and their neighbor, who they entered into a “polyamorous” relationship with over a decade ago.
“Tri-custody is the logical evolution of the Court of Appeals decision in Brooke S.B., and the passage of the Marriage Equality Act and DRL [Domestic Relations Law] §10-a which permits same-sex couples to marry in New York,” Suffolk County Supreme Court Judge Patrick Leis III wrote.
According to reports, in 2001, Michael and Dawn Marano began as friends to neighbor Audria Garcia, who was living with her boyfriend at the time. But when Garcia split with her significant other, she moved in with the Maranos, where she began to engage in “intimate relations” with both of them.
In 2006, Garcia became pregnant with Michael Marano’s child—an agreement made between the three since Dawn Marano was infertile—and they all raised the boy together. However, in 2008, Dawn Marano left her husband to solely be in a relationship with Garcia.
NBC News reports:
When Steve Wise first started out as an animal rights lawyer, people used to bark at him when he entered a courtroom.
For more than 25 years, Wise has been arguing that animals who have cognitive complexities similar to humans should be legally endowed with basic rights of autonomy.
Now when he enters a courtroom, no one is barking.
On Thursday, Wise — who founded the Nonhuman Rights Project on behalf of the great apes, cetaceans and elephants — will go before the appellate division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York in Manhattan and argue that two of his clients, chimpanzees Kiko and Tommy, should be afforded the rights of “personhood.”
“‘Personhood’ is not synonymous with ‘humans.’ It is not now and never has been,” Wise told NBC News. “A ‘person’ is the law’s way of saying that entity has the capacity for rights. A ‘thing,’ which chimpanzees are now, don’t have capacity for any kind of rights.”
According to USA Today:
Pope Francis said he is open to the possibility of permitting married men to become priests to address the serious shortage of Catholic priests in some countries.
The pope raised the idea in an interview with the German newspaper Die Zeit.
He ruled out the prospect of allowing single men who are already priests to marry but was open to the idea of allowing unmarried laymen or men already married to be ordained.
The pope raised the prospect in the context of allowing “viri probati,” Latin for “tested men,” to be ordained in places with a scarcity of priests.
He told the newspaper the lack of Catholic priests was an “enormous problem” for the church.
“We need to think about whether ‘viri probati’ could be a possibility,” he told the German weekly. “If so, we would need to determine what duties they could undertake, for example, in remote communities.”
