Ferguson Violence Upswing: 7 Homicides in One Day in St. Louis

/1 Comment/in , /by

The night manager of a Drury Inn in St. Louis was shot to death during an early Thursday robbery attempt, one of the city’s seven homicides during a 24-hour span. Police quickly made three arrests in cases in which the victims reportedly knew their assailants.

Police Chief Sam Dotson and Mayor Francis Slay condemned the violence at a Thursday afternoon news conference. They did not identify the suspects in custody, who will be formally charged Friday.

Scott Knopfel, 50, was shot in the head at the Drury hotel near Interstate 44 just before 3 a.m. after he struggled with his assailant while opening a cash drawer. Surveillance video shows the suspect, whom the manager mistook for a patron, entering the hotel and leaving less than 30 seconds later. He can be seen pulling out a handgun and vaulting a counter, then leaving the hotel in the same manner.

Seven homicides within 24 hours is an unusually high number for St. Louis, which has a population of about 320,000 people and recorded 159 homicides in 2014. Dotson and Slay linked the overnight violence to crime increases in the area documented since the fatal Ferguson police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown more than five months ago in north St. Louis County.

“To see this much violence going on in our city within such a short period of time, it is absolutely outrageous,” Slay said. “It’s out of hand. It disgusts me.” (Read more about the Ferguson violence upswing HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Listen to Muslim Call to Prayer at Duke University (+video)

/0 Comments/in , /by

Every Friday at 1 p.m. for three minutes, the Muslim call to prayer (played in the video below) will be blasted throughout campus on Duke University’s PA system. [Editor’s note: please see the update to this story HERE]

Duke, founded as an explicitly Christian college, is doing this under the guise of “religious pluralism.” But this is the same university that actually tried to cancel a pro-life event at their women’s center not so long ago.

After the Muslim call to prayer, how about having evangelical students get on the PA and quote John 3:16? Probably won’t happen. . .

Listen to the Muslim call to prayer to be broadcast throughout Duke University and this great exchange between Dallas Pastor Robert Jeffress and Fox News.

Courageous Pregnant Woman With Breast Cancer Rejects Abortion

/1 Comment/in , /by

Photo Credit: Life News By Sarah Zagorski. Breast cancer during pregnancy is very rare, occurring in only one in every 3,000 pregnant women. That’s why when Ottawa mother, Jillian O’Conner, felt a lump in her breast while nursing her 1-year-old son she thought it was a blocked milk duck.

Jillian was only 31-years-old and 16-weeks pregnant when she discovered the lump and decided to visit her doctor. At first she was diagnosed with stage two cancer but was upgraded to stage four when doctors found that her liver was enlarged, which meant that the cancer had metastasized.

Her doctor, Mark Clemons, shared more with the Ottawa news. He said, “‘Jillian is facing not only the challenge of going through cancer treatment while pregnant but she knows her disease is not curable and once her baby is born, we will change her treatment to give her the best chance of long and fulfilling life.” He also said that most doctors advise women with breast cancer while pregnant to abort but he believes he can help O’Conner and her baby. (Read more about the pregnant woman with breast cancer HERE)

_______________________________________________

Woman Refuses to Abort Two of Her Three Babies After Doctors Tell Her To

By Steven Ertelt. A mother in Britain has told her doctors that she will definitely not take their advice to terminate the lives of two of her triplet babies in abortions in order to supposedly save the life of one of them.

Jaime Halsey and husband were told they were expecting twins in October but an ultrasound scan showed one baby was 25 per cent smaller than others. Her physicians recommended an abortion, but she’s refused saying she will continue the pregnancy and hope for the best even though doctors claim the chance of all three babies surviving is 50-50.

The abortion selection is known in the medical industry as “selective reduction.”

“Selective reduction” is the abortion of one or more babies in a multiple pregnancy. Basically, if a woman is pregnant with twins, triplets, or more—often through in vitro fertilization or another fertility treatment—and she decides she only wants one or two babies, she aborts the rest. (Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Republicans Bracing for Obama’s Massive Spending Hike

/0 Comments/in , /by

As President Obama prepares to ask for a 7 percent hike in federal spending in fiscal 2016, congressional Republicans are gearing up for a new budget fight.

Multiple reports have indicated that Obama is planning to request an additional $68 billion above current spending limits, and Republicans are none too happy about that development.

“Does the White House truly believe it’s got ‘enough goodwill building’ on the economy to start running up the nation’s credit card again?” asked Cory Fritz, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest on Thursday declined to confirm the details of the president’s budget request, saying only that the administration would unveil the blueprint Feb. 2.

Federal budgeting is done by the House of Representatives, however, making presidential budget requests symbolic documents that amount to a White House wish list. (Read more about the spending hike HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Egyptian Student Posts on Facebook that He’s an Atheist, Sentenced to 3 Years in Jail

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: YahooAn Egyptian court has sentenced a student to three years in jail for announcing on Facebook that he is an atheist and for insulting Islam, his lawyer said Sunday.

Karim al-Banna, a 21-year-old whose own father testified against him, was jailed by a court in the Nile Delta province of Baheira on Saturday, lawyer Ahmed Abdel Nabi told AFP.

“He was handed down a three-year prison sentence, and if he pays a bail of 1,000 Egyptian pounds ($ 140 or 117 euros) the sentence can be suspended until a verdict is issued by an appeals court,” Abdel Nabi said, adding that an appeal was to be heard on March 9.

Abdel Nabi said his client’s father had testified against his son, charging that he “was embracing extremist ideas against Islam”.

Banna’s name had appeared in a list of known atheists in a local daily after which his neighbours harassed him, said Ishaq Ibrahim, a researcher on religion and beliefs at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. (Read more about the Egyptian student who received 3 years in jail HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Despite Falling Oil Prices, Alaska LNG Going Forward

/1 Comment/in , /by

The recent free-fall of crude oil prices has affected markets across the globe. Energy companies have responded by scaling back investments as their available capital shrinks. In British Columbia, delays are hampering the Pacific Northwest LNG project. Likewise, in Texas, a liquefaction project has been suspended off its coast by Excelerate Energy. Yet, meanwhile, Alaska is moving forward on an ambitious infrastructure project to develop and export its North Slope gas reserves.

Alaska’s resources are unique. The state receives approximately ninety percent of its revenue from taxes on oil production, leaving the budget vulnerable to price fluxes. Amid tumbling oil prices, Alaska could now face a projected deficit of almost $3.5 billion, opposed to a projected $1 billion deficit last year. State leaders have responded by tightening the state’s fiscal belt, with the newly elected Governor Bill Walker announcing projected cuts to six ongoing state projects.

Despite those cuts, however, state leaders are wisely continuing the Alaska LNG project. This project would be the first to capitalize upon the vast Alaska North Slope gas reserves at Prudhoe Bay and Point Thomson. With the necessary investment upwards of $65 billon, the effort would be the largest infrastructure project in North American history and would create thousands of construction and long-term operations jobs for hardworking Alaskans. And, perhaps most important for the state, the Alaska LNG project will provide a longstanding stable source of revenue.

Nonetheless, recent actions by Governor Walker are stirring concerns for project supporters. During his campaign, the Governor promised support for the project. Yet last week, he announced the unexpected dismissal of three Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) board members, the state body charged with moving negotiations with major producers forward to build the Alaska LNG project. Moreover, he penned a recent article suggesting the state’s recently reformed oil tax structure was unfair, despite perpetual assurances during his campaign to respect the will of his constituents who voted in August to approve the reformed tax.

Most distressing, however, is his broken promise to drop the lawsuit over the Point Thomson project settlement. As a state political writer noted, “Despite what he said…Walker has not dropped the suit, and is in ‘no hurry’ to remove himself, he said through his spokesperson Grace Jang.” (Read more about the Alaska LNG going forward HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

The Great Wall of Saudi Arabia?

/2 Comments/in , /by

Saudi Arabia has been constructing a 600-mile East-West barrier on its Northern Border with Iraq since September.

The main function of the barrier will be keeping out ISIS militants, who have stated that among their goals is an eventual takeover of the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, both of which lie deep inside Saudi territory, according to United Press International.

This past week, a commander and two guards on the Saudi-Iraq border were killed during an attack by Islamic State militants, the first direct ground assault by the group on the border.

“It is the first attack by Islamic State itself against Saudi Arabia and is a clear message after Saudi Arabia entered the international coalition against it,” Mustafa Alani, an Iraqi security analyst with close ties to Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry, told Reuters.

The Saudi “Great Wall” as it’s being dubbed by some media outlets, will be a fence and ditch barrier that features soft sand embankments that is designed to slow down infiltrators on foot and are too step to drive a tired-vehicle up, according to the Telegraph of London. It will have 40 watchtowers and seven command and control centers complete with radar that can detect aircraft and vehicles as far away as 22 miles as well as day and night camera installations. (Read more about the Great Wall of Saudi Arabia HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

UPDATE: Duke University Reverses Decision to Broadcast Muslim Call

/3 Comments/in , /by

By Ashley Pratte. Duke University reversed it’s decision to allow the “adhan”–Muslim call to prayer to be broadcast across campus every Friday.

Yesterday, the University was extremely supportive of the initiative and said that it would enhance the religious plurality on campus.

Well, enough people weighed in on the decision and now the school has decided to not allow the weekly “adhan” to take place–effectively beginning tomorrow. (Read more about the university to broadcast Muslim call HERE)
_________________________________________________

Oxford University Warns Against Authors Writing About Pork Because it may Offend Muslims

By Jessica Chasmar. The largest university press in the world has warned its authors not to mention pigs or pork in their books to avoid offending Muslims and Jews.

Oxford University Press (OUP) explained that their books must take into consideration other cultures of the world and must avoid mentioning pigs or “anything else which could be perceived as pork,” the International Business Times reported.

The move was revealed during a discussion on free speech during BBC Radio 4’s “Today,” following last week’s terror attacks in Paris.

“I’ve got a letter here that was sent out by OUP to an author doing something for young people.” Presenter Jim Naughtie said. “Among the things prohibited in the text that was commissioned by OUP was the following: Pigs plus sausages, or anything else which could be perceived as pork.

“Now, if a respectable publisher, tied to an academic institution, is saying you’ve got to write a book in which you cannot mention pigs because some people might be offended, it’s just ludicrous. It is just a joke,” he said. (Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson: Editors Cut Name of Jesus to NOT Offend Muslims (+video)

/29 Comments/in , /by

Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson said that when the Duck Dynasty show began on A&E in 2012, the video editors, based in Los Angeles, would often take out the words “in Jesus’ name” from the family prayer scene because they thought the name “Jesus” might “offend some of the Muslims or something.”

Robertson said he advised the show’s producers, in West Monroe, La., that they and the entire world kept time, the “year of Our Lord,” A.D., Anno Domini, based upon Jesus Christ and that it would not hurt to “throw His name in there from time to time,” and he noted that this example represented, the “spiritual warfare” that is always occurring.

Robertson made his comments during an interview with reporters for Sports Spectrum TV. He first related that video editors of Duck Dynasty initially added bleeps to the audio to suggest there was profanity when there was, in fact, no cursing by the cast members. Robertson got the editors to stop making those insertions.

He then recounted, “The other thing was when we prayed, we said, ‘In Jesus’ name. Amen.’ Now, I don’t have any verse that says you must always use or pray in the name of Jesus but it’s a very good idea, I think. So they were just having me saying, ‘Thank you Lord for the food, thank you for loving us. Amen.’”

“So I said, why would you cut out ‘In Jesus’ name’?” recalled Robertson. “They said, ‘Well, those editors are probably doing that and they just think, you know, they don’t want to maybe offend some of the Muslims or something.’” (Read more from this story HERE)

Duke University to Broadcast Muslim Call to Prayer Every Friday

/15 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Breitbart By Ashley Pratte. In a new initiative to promote religious pluralism, Duke University will broadcast the Muslim call to prayer every Friday on campus. The call to prayer—also known as “adhan”—will be chanted by the Duke Muslim Student Association.

The prayer itself is set to start this Friday at 1:00 p.m. and will be broadcast and amplified from the Chapel bell tower on campus.

As campuses continue to foster political correctness, they use it as a way to favor religions seemingly at war with Western Civilization and Judeo-Christian beliefs.


[LISTEN TO THE MUSLIM CALL TO PRAYER THAT DUKE WILL BE PLAYING HERE]

Frequently, we see students fighting for their religious freedom on campus—especially Christians. We hope that Duke University will also allow equal opportunity for Christian students to gather to pray and respect their religious freedom. (Read more from this story HERE)

________________________________________________

Rev. Graham: End the Muslim Call to Prayer Policy at Duke University

By Michael W. Chapman. Donors and alumni of the prestigious Duke University in Durham, N.C., a school founded by Quakers and Methodists, should “withhold their support” until Duke reverses its new policy allowing the Muslim Call to Prayer on Fridays, said Rev. Franklin Graham, son of world renowned pastor Billy Graham.

“Duke University announced today that they will have a Muslim call to prayer from their Chapel bell tower every Friday,” said Rev. Graham on his Facebook page on Jan. 14.

“As Christianity is being excluded from the public square and followers of Islam are raping, butchering, and beheading Christians, Jews, and anyone who doesn’t submit to their Sharia Islamic law, Duke is promoting this in the name of religious pluralism,” he said.

“I call on the donors and alumni to withhold their support from Duke until this policy is reversed,” added Rev. Graham, who lives in Boone, N.C., and is the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). (Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.