The Daily Brief: Thursday, June 29, 2014

The Daily Brief: Thursday, June 29, 2014

1. [Antifa] Protests planned at Gettysburg battlefield this weekend - Philly.com

Officials in Gettysburg are bracing for protests this weekend coinciding with the 154th anniversary of the Civil War battle. The Sons of Confederate Veterans and a group called Real 3% Risen have received special use permits for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in a special section north of Meade's Headquarters.

Besides the two permitted protests, Civil War reenactors from the Maryland Sons of Confederate Veterans also received a permit for a "site specific" march starting at 10 a.m. from the North Carolina Memorial to the Veterans Memorial, where they will hold a ceremony, said Katie Lawhon, a spokeswoman for Gettysburg National Military Park.

Reports that the anti-fascist group Antifa plans to burn Confederate flags and desecrate graves have prompted calls on social media for other groups to gather in Gettysburg to counter those protesters.

The anniversary of the battle, which raged from July 1 to July 3, 1863, comes at a time when there is a growing movement to remove Confederate symbols from public spaces. (Read more)
- Father, we pray Antifa protestors will be unsuccessful in provoking a fight with anyone this weekend. We pay You would bring shame upon them for desecrating Civil War memorials and cause them to repent.

- I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. (Jeremiah 33:8)

2. CNN Faced $100M Lawsuit Over Botched Russia Story - NewsMax

CNN sent three staffers packing after its false story about a Trump transition team member because the network feared a libel lawsuit that could hurt parent company Time Warner's proposed purchase by AT&T, the New York Post reports. Citing sources, the Post's Emily Smith says CNN "immediately caved" after Anthony Scaramucci threatened a $100 million suit after the network falsely linked him to an investment fund owned by the Russian government. CNN later retracted the story.

Journalists Tom Frank, Eric Lichtblau and Lex Haris were then 'urged to resign,'" Smith reports. "They called them in and said they'd pay out their contracts, but they should leave immediately," one source told her. Smith says CNN president Jeff Zucker made the move because he was "afraid of facing a high profile lawsuit from Scaramucci, while the U.S. Justice Department weighs the proposed $85.4 billion media merger." A CNN insider told the Post staffers are furious at "having lost the moral high ground because of this story." (Read more)
- Father, thank You for bringing correction to CNN. We pray they will be humble enough to heed the warning, make changes and report with integrity.

- Those who convict the innocent by their false testimony will disappear. A similar fate awaits those who use trickery to pervert justice and who tell lies to destroy the innocent. (Isaiah 29:21)

3. Trump's breakthrough for veterans - FoxNews

One of President Trump's most important promises throughout the campaign was to ensure that American veterans receive the respect and care they deserve. Just months into his presidency, this is a promise on which he has delivered.

First, the president's decision to nominate Dr. David Shulkin as secretary of Veterans Affairs was critical. During his earliest days in office, I observed President Trump meticulously vet and rule out dozens of people for the post. He knew the VA was gigantic and deeply flawed, and he needed someone extremely competent to run the organization - someone who could wrangle the entrenched bureaucracy without being swallowed by it.

just five months, Shulkin has helped implement a VA Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, created a website to track and publish wait times at every VA hospital, drastically increased mental health services across the system, and developed a way to electronically transfer veterans' medical records from the Department of Defense to the VA to simplify their transition from service to civilian life. Each one of these accomplishments is remarkable. But for President Trump and Secretary Shulkin, these achievements were merely the starting point. (Read more)
- Father, we thank You for this important progress and pray our nation will continue to honor and care for our Veterans with diligence and respect.

- I will give you back your health and heal your wounds," says the Lord. (Jeremiah 30:17a)

4. Paving the path to U.S. energy dominance - Washington Times

This week, the Trump administration is hosting "Energy Week" to discuss with state, tribal, business and labor leaders how we can pave the path forward toward U.S. energy dominance.

This is a truly amazing moment in the energy sector, and President Trump is seeking to capitalize on the opportunity for the betterment of the American economy and our citizens. For the first time in four decades, the energy story in the United States is about becoming an energy exporter and no longer about peak resources or being beholden to foreign powers.

Mr. Trump wants America to utilize our abundant domestic energy resources and technological innovations for good, both at home and abroad. An energy-dominant America means a self-reliant and secure nation, free from the geopolitical turmoil of other nations that seek to use energy as an economic weapon.

An energy-dominant America will export to markets around the world, increasing our global leadership and influence. Becoming energy dominant means that we are getting government out of the way so that we can share our energy wealth with developing nations. For years, Washington stood in the way of our energy dominance. That changes now. (Read more)
- Father, we are grateful for our nation's natural resources. Help us move forward with wisdom, using these assets to benefit all our citizens.

- The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. (Deuteronomy 28:13)

5. Mitch McConnell Wants a Revised Senate Healthcare Bill by Friday - Breitbart

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wants a revised version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) by Friday to prep for another vote before the August recess.

McConnell hopes to finalize changes to the Senate healthcare bill so that he can send the changes to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to analyze. The CBO reported that 22 million more Americans would not have health insurance over the next ten years under this bill. The BCRA would also reduce the deficit by $321 billion by 2026.

The CBO could send a new CBO score to the revised BCRA by the time the Senate returns from the Fourth of July recess, allowing two weeks for Senate leadership to whip the votes necessary to pass the bill through the upper chamber before Congress leaves Washington, D.C., for the rest of the summer. (Read more) The Majority Leader pulled the bill's vote, which was slated for this week, after realizing there was not enough support for the bill to pass.
- Father, we continue to lift up this bill and all the efforts to improve our healthcare delivery systems in the nation. We pray this bill will meet this need and receive the political support to pass.

- Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. (Psalm 34:9)

6. Arrest made after Ten Commandments monument at Arkansas Capitol toppled, shattered - Arkansas Online

A 6-foot-tall stone Ten Commandments monument installed Tuesday on the Arkansas Capitol grounds was toppled less than 24 hours later after a 32-year-old Arkansas man drove a vehicle into the statue, apparently while streaming the act live on Facebook, officials said.

Chris Powell, a spokesman with the secretary of state's office, said he was called early Wednesday and told a man drove a vehicle through the monument. That driver - identified in an arrest report as Michael Tate Reed of Van Buren - was arrested by Capitol police shortly after, Powell said. News reports indicate Reed was previously accused of destroying a Ten Commandments monument in Oklahoma. (Read more)
- Father, we pray for the repentance and salvation of Michael Tate Reed. We pray You would crush his hatred for You and Your law just as he has destroyed these monuments.

- I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days. (Jeremiah 31:18)

7. Forgotten Americans on H-1B: 'This Is Complete Treason' - Breitbart

Every year, more than 100,000 foreign workers are brought to the U.S. on the H-1B visa and are allowed to stay for up to six years. That number has ballooned to potentially hundreds of thousands each year, as universities and non-profits are exempt from the cap. With more entering the U.S. through the visa, Americans are often replaced and forced to train their foreign replacements.

As Breitbart Texas spoke to a number of workers in front of the White House, a reoccurring factor was that Americans would only speak anonymously. "I have to remain anonymous," one told Breitbart Texas. "It's in my severance package." He had to move from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. just to find a job after he had been outsourced by Infosys, India's top consulting firm. "This is also a national security threat because foreigners are dominating an entire American industry, the worker said. (Read more)
- Father, we pray for reform within our immigration system to prevent the displacement of US citizens by immigrants. We also pray for the restoration of people impacted by this wrongheaded national policy.

- Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you. (Joel 2:25)

8. Narrative On Killing Of Muslim Girl Crumbles As New Details Emerge Of Alleged Killer - Daily Caller

In the aftermath of the brutal beating and death of a teenage Muslim girl in Virginia, liberal activists and some civil rights organizations rushed to frame the killing as a hate crime. Many said that Nabra Mohmod Hassanen's killer was obviously motivated by loathing for Muslims, one of many minority groups suffering under the "climate of hate" that President Donald Trump's administration has created.

The storyline began to collapse when The Daily Caller and other outlets reported that the alleged killer, Darwin Martinez Torres, was not a white supremacist bigot, as some alleged, but rather a 22-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador. Despite the total absence of evidence of a hate crime - Fairfax County police called it a "road rage" incident - many commentators continued to assert that Hassanen's murder was an illustrative example of bias against Muslims in American society. (Read more)
- Father, we pray the truth of this incident would be reported on the media outlets who were so quick to claim it was a hate crime.

- Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. (Psalm 27:12)

9. Italy Threatens To Close Its Ports As Migrant Situation Spirals Out Of Control - Daily Caller

Italy has threatened to close its ports for foreign ships as the migrant situation in the Mediterranean sea has become "unsustainable." More than 77,000 migrants have arrived in Italy so far in 2017, an increase of 14 percent compared to 2016. The government is now accusing the European Union of "looking the other way" instead of offering support. "Italy has reached saturation point," an unnamed government source told Reuters. "The idea of blocking humanitarian ships flying foreign flags from returning to Italian ports has been discussed." (Read more)
- Father, we pray for Your remnant people in Europe to effectively and thoroughly evangelize these immigrants, causing the native populations to be ashamed of their unbelief. Truly, the only hope for Europe is a massive turn back to faith in You.

- Then we shall not turn back from You; revive us, and we will call upon Your name. O Lord God of hosts, restore us; cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved. (Psalm 80:18-19)

10. China's 'Modern Slavery' Demotion Comes After Years of Waivers - CNS News

China was downgraded Tuesday to the lowest ranking in an annual U.S. report on human trafficking, marking only the second time it has been relegated to "tier-three" status. The last time it happened, the Obama administration was required by law to do so.

Beijing bristled at the development, with foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang saying that China was "firmly opposed to the irresponsible remarks made by the U.S. based on its domestic law about others' efforts against human trafficking. He said China was "resolute" in combating the phenomenon and that its progress was "obvious." But the State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report paints a different picture, especially when it comes to the treatment of North Koreans in China.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said at the report's release that 50,000-80,000 North Koreans were forced laborers abroad, especially in China and Russia. Many worked 20 hours and day and their wages went directly to the North Korean regime "which confiscates most of that, obviously." "China was downgraded to tier-three status in this year's report in part because it has not taken serious steps to end its own complicity in trafficking - including forced laborers from North Korea that are located in China," he said. (Read more)
- Father, we pray for all these people, created in Your image, who are being abused. We pray belief in You will bring them hope and redemption. We pray not one of their lives would be lost to You.

- He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. (Isaiah 61:1b)

The Daily Brief: Wednesday, June 28, 2017

The Daily Brief: Wednesday, June 28, 2017

1. Senate GOP delays ObamaCare repeal vote past recess - The Hill

Senate Republicans will head into the July 4 recess without having repealed ObamaCare after deciding on Tuesday to delay the legislation when it became clear it lacked the votes for passage. The decision sets up a situation Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had long sought to avoid: a recess where his members will take hits over the healthcare fight and a July that might now be taken up by the healthcare debate.

The GOP leader put on a brave face after an emergency meeting at the White House with President Trump and his conference, telling reporters that his members just needed a little bit more time. "We made good progress," he told reporters after the roughly hourlong meeting in the East Room.

"Everyone around the table is interested in getting to yes - is interested in getting an outcome," he said. "Because we know the status quo is simply unacceptable, unsustainable and no action is just not an option." (Read more)
- Father, we pray for the passage of a truly good bill for the American people. We also pray You will restrain the enemy and expose lies regarding this bill, Republicans in Congress and President Trump.

- Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed. (Proverbs 12:19)

2. Three CNN Employees Resign Over Retracted Story on Russia Ties - The Wrap

Three CNN employees have handed in their resignations over a retracted story linking President Trump to Russia, the network announced Monday. The article was removed from CNN.com on Friday after the network decided it could no longer stand by its reporting.

"In the aftermath of the retraction of a story published on CNN.com, CNN has accepted the resignation of the employees involved in the story's publication," a network spokesperson told TheWrap in a statement.

On Thursday, CNN investigative reporter Thomas Frank published a story involving an investigation into a Russian investment fund with possible ties to several Trump associates. According to the network, an internal investigation found that "some standard editorial processes were not followed when the article was published."

Citing a single unnamed source, the story reported that Congress was investigating a "Russian investment fund with ties to Trump officials." (Read more)
- Father, we are grateful for this very public humiliation of CNN. We pray for organizational reform at CNN so that they will produce accurate content and return to standards of ethics and good journalism.

- Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. (1 Peter 3:9)

3. Fed-up media launch assault on 'lying' media - WND

Days after James Hodgkinson unveiled his homicidal intentions against conservatives with a gun attack on Republican members of Congress who were practicing for a congressional baseball game, conservative journalists rallied in front of the White House to demand an end to attacks on and assaults against Trump supporters.

They are making the demands not just of those who are violent, or potentially violent, but of the mainstream media, the Democratic Party and the party's liberal supporters.

Jack Posobiec, journalist and author of "Citizens for Trump," told WND he organized the rally "because it is time to stand for peace. It's time for Trump supporters, people on the right wing, people on the left wing, people in the center, people who are independents, moderates, Republicans - we should all be able to stand up for peace," he said. "There is too much violent rhetoric, and it is time, finally, for us to say, 'Enough with the violence, enough with the violent rhetoric - we need peace and we need it now.'" (Read more)
- Father, we pray the Republican Party leadership will energetically support President Trump and his agenda. May they realize the opportunity they have to implement the will of the people and act upon it quickly.

- Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. (Genesis 24:56, excerpt)

4. Did the FBI retaliate against Michael Flynn by launching Russia probe? - Circa

Secret memos show Trump adviser roiled bureau by intervening in agent's discrimination case before he was targeted in Russia case.

The FBI launched a criminal probe against former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn two years after the retired Army general roiled the bureau's leadership by intervening on behalf of a decorated counterterrorism agent who accused now-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe and other top officials of sexual discrimination, according to documents and interviews.

Flynn's intervention on behalf of Supervisory Special Agent Robyn Gritz was highly unusual, and included a letter in 2014 on his official Pentagon stationary, a public interview in 2015 supporting Gritz's case and an offer to testify on her behalf. His offer put him as a hostile witness in a case against McCabe, who was soaring through the bureau's leadership ranks. (Read more)
- Father, we pray You would continue to expose every abuse of power within our government. We pray each person will be held fully accountable so that we will be worthy of Your blessing upon our nation.

- Remove wicked officials from the king's presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness. (Proverbs 25:5)

5. Hoyer Agrees: Obama Administration Made 'Very Serious Mistake' in Not Revealing Russian Interference Earlier in 2016 - CNS News

In a press briefing on Tuesday, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said he agreed with his colleague Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) that the Obama administration made a "very serious mistake" in not telling the American people about Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election until after that election.

At the briefing on Capitol Hill, CNSNews.com asked Rep. Hoyer, "Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said on CNN on Sunday that the Obama administration learned of Russian interference in the election in August 2016 but didn't reveal it until after the election and this 'was a very serious mistake.' Do you agree with Rep. Schiff?" Hoyer said, "I agree with Schiff." (Read more)
- Father, we pray even former President Obama will be held accountable for his actions and inactions, as both a public and private citizen.

- Tell these whitewashers that their wall will soon fall down. A heavy rainstorm will undermine it; great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down. (Ezekiel 13:11)

6. President Trump Officially Nominates Christopher Wray as New FBI Director - BCN

President Donald Trump submitted his nomination for a new FBI director to the Senate. The White House made the official announcement Monday evening. If confirmed, Christopher A. Wray will replace James Comey, whom Trump fired in May.

Wray serves as a criminal defense attorney and used to lead the Justice Department's criminal division under former President George W. Bush. He graduated from Yale and recently served as the attorney for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who served on Trump's transition team.

Trump posted his own announcement on Twitter, calling Wray a "man of impeccable credentials." The president also said Wray would "again serve his country as a fierce guardian of the law and model of integrity once the Senate confirms him to lead the FBI."

Wray released a statement regarding his nomination. "I am honored and humbled to be nominated by the president to lead the FBI, the premier law enforcement organization in the world," he said. (Read more)
- Father, we pray the confirmation hearings for Christopher Wray will be quick and fair. May his verbal commitment to protect our country and uphold our Constitution and laws be made a reality through his actions.

- May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you. (Psalm 25:21)

7. DHS John Kelly Defunds, Disinvites Islamic Groups Favored By Barack Obama - Breitbart

Administration officials have eliminated 2016 plans to fund Islamic groups allied to former President Barack Obama, and declined to schedule a 2017 Islamic 'Iftar' dinner where those groups were able to show their political influence to the ambassadors of wealthy Islamic countries.

The turnaround was made public on Friday when the Department of Homeland Security announced a revised list of the organizations which are getting DHS funds to help revent young Muslims from becoming jihadis. The new list replaced an Obama list announced January 13, 2017, and it dropped a $800,000 grant for an Islamic seminary in Los Angeles, and a $393,000 grant for a linked organization, the Muslim Public Affairs Council Foundation.

The foundation is a spin-off of the D.C.-based Muslim Public Affairs Council, whose leaders were frequent advisors to Obama and his deputies, where they lobbied for a national strategy of letting semi-segregated Islamic political communities and groups - but not the FBI - play the leading role in combating Islamic terrorism. (Read more)
- Praise You, Lord! We pray this new approach will hold the Muslim community more accountable while moving forward with effective counter-terrorism strategies.

- Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord, how foolish people have reviled your name. (Psalm 74:18)

8. Cyber attack sweeps globe, researchers see 'WannaCry' link - Reuters

A major global cyber attack on Tuesday disrupted computers at Russia's biggest oil company, Ukrainian banks and multinational firms with a virus similar to the ransomware that last month infected more than 300,000 computers.

The rapidly spreading cyber extortion campaign underscored growing concerns that businesses have failed to secure their networks from increasingly aggressive hackers, who have shown they are capable of shutting down critical infrastructure and crippling corporate and government networks.

It included code known as "Eternal Blue," which cyber security experts widely believe was stolen from the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and was also used in last month's ransomware attack, named "WannaCry." (Read more)
- Father, as this crisis continues, we pray You would give the software companies insight and solutions to protect consumers and companies.

- To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. (Psalm 28:1)

9. The Next SCOTUS Term Looks Like A Blockbuster - Daily Caller

The Supreme Court has set a loaded, controversial docket for its next term, electing to review high-profile immigration, gerrymandering, Fourth Amendment, and LGBT cases for its 2017 sitting.

The high court has spent much of the last year and a half sidestepping antagonism and working towards consensus, after the unexpected death of Justice Antonin Scalia left the tribunal with just eight members. But the (relatively) quiet term the justices have just completed will be succeeded by a blockbuster year. (Read more)
- Father, we lift up our Supreme Court and each Justice to You. We pray for each of them to humble themselves before You, as the Supreme Judge of All, with a desire to honor You as they render their decisions. - " . . . they shall judge the people with righteous judgment." (Deuteronomy 16:18b)

10. Illinois law requires pro-life doctors to discuss 'benefits' of abortion - LifeSite News

I have predicted that "medical conscience" will become a huge social controversy in the next decade, as culture of death proponents seek to force pro-life and Hippocratic Oath-believing doctors out of medicine by compelling them to be complicit in life-taking acts such as abortion and assisted suicide.

I just learned that a law enacted last year in Illinois compels doctors to counsel patients about the "benefits" of all legal medical procedures - the prime target is pro-life doctors about abortion, but it is not limited to that - and if unwilling to do the deed, to become complicity by helping patient find a doctor who will.

(Read more)
- Father, we lift up Your people - those who love You and desire to serve You whatever their profession. We pray against coercive laws that seek to drive them from the marketplace or compromise their beliefs.

- Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you. (1 Samuel 12:24)

The Daily Brief: Tuesday, June 27, 2015

The Daily Brief: Tuesday, June 27, 2015

1. Senate health-care bill faces serious resistance from GOP moderates - Washington Post

A small group of moderate Republican senators, worried that their leaders' health-care bill could damage the nation's social safety net, may pose at least as significant an obstacle to the measure's passage as their colleagues on the right.

The vast changes the legislation would make to Medicaid, the country's broadest source of public health insurance, would represent the largest single step the government has ever taken toward conservatives' long-held goal of reining in federal spending on health-care entitlement programs in favor of a free-market system.

That dramatic shift and the bill's bold redistribution of wealth - the billions of dollars taken from coverage for the poor would help fund tax cuts for the wealthy - is creating substantial anxiety for several Republican moderates whose states have especially benefited from the expansion of Medicaid that the Affordable Care Act has allowed since 2014. (Read more)

See also: CBO Report Complicates GOP Support for Health Care Bill - NBC News (Go here)

See also: White House criticizes CBO report, cites 'history of inaccuracy' - Fox News (Go here)
- Father God, we continue to pray in the Spirit over this extremely contentious issue. We take note that Nancy Pelosi has twisted the narrative surrounding this bill, even calling the Republican Party the "death party."

Father, we ask You to forgive her and all others who are speaking lies and untruths about the many aspects of this bill, and that You would make a way where there seems to be no way for Congress to create a health care system that will, indeed, meet the needs of the American people. In Your name, amen.

- "Call upon Me, and I will show you great and mighty things that thou knoweth not" (Jeremiah 33:3)

2. Trump Breaks Two-Decade Tradition, Skips Ramadan Dinner Celebration At White House - Daily Wire

The year after Islamic terrorists bombed the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001, killing more than 3,000 people, President George W. Bush held a dinner at the White House to celebrate the end of Ramadan, Islam's holiest month. He praised Islam as "a religion of peace" and called upon all to celebrate. The annual tradition actually stretches back to Bill Clinton - 20 years in all - but on Sunday, that ended.

President Trump, who stayed over at the White House for the weekend, did not hold an iftar dinner to commemorate Ramadan. Instead, he issued a statement Saturday morning to celebrate the occasion, which marks the end of the holy month. "On behalf of the American people," President Trump said in the statement, "Melania and I send our warm greetings to Muslims as they celebrate Eid al-Fitr."

Over the years, the dinners, attended by leaders of the Muslim community, foreign diplomats and members of Congress, have grown odd, given the nonstop Islamic violence spreading across the world. Ramadan brings even more terror as Muslim attackers are seen as martyrs during Ramadan, and supposedly win greater rewards in the afterlife.

And 2017 set a new record for terror attacks during Ramadan, which ran from May 26 to June 24. There were 174 Islamic terror attacks that left 1,595 people dead and 1,960 wounded, reports Religion of Peace. (Read more)
- Father, we thank You that President Trump did not bend to the pressure to "celebrate" Iftar. We pray for Your Holy Spirit to move across the Islamic community, bringing the truth about the Messiah, Jesus.

- "For they have shed innocent blood in their land." (Joel 3:19c)

3. IBD: Trump Is Right, Illegals Cost Him in Popular Vote - Newsmax

President Donald Trump's famous claim illegals voting against him cost him the popular vote has more support, despite the mainstream media claims it was merely a "Twitter-born conspiracy theory," according to an Investors Business Daily editorial this week.

The editorial cited a study by Just Facts Daily, a libertarian think tank. A Harvard/you.Gov poll had as many as 5.7 million non-citizens saying they had cast votes in former President Barack Obama's first election, and that number was 3.6 million in 2012.

With 21 million American adults in the 2016 Census - up from 19.4 million in 2008, the start of the Obama administration - "it is therefore highly likely that millions of non-citizens cast votes in 2016," according to the study.

"Democrats had extensive get-out-the-vote campaigns in areas heavily populated by illegal aliens," according to the IBD editorial this week. "As far back as 2008, Obama made sure that those who wanted to vote knew it was safe, announcing that election records would not be cross-checked with immigration databases. (Read more)
- Lord, we pray that You will stop this flood of illegals that has tainted our election process.

- "And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil." (Proverbs 16:6c)

4. House Republicans Plan to Vote on Pair of Bills That Tackle Illegal Immigration - Washington Free Beacon

House Republicans are hoping to move forward a pair of bills that tackle illegal immigration next week to carry out President Donald Trump's agenda of enforcing federal immigration laws.

One of the bills would boost penalties for deported immigrants that try to re-enter the country and the other would target so-called sanctuary cities, Politico reported.

The former bill is named "Kate's Law" after a young woman named Kate Steinle, who was shot and killed in San Francisco by an illegal immigrant who repeatedly was deported but returned. The latter bill, targeting cities and counties that do not cooperate with federal immigration officials, is called "No Sanctuaries for Criminals Act." (Read more)
- Lord, we pray for the strength of Republicans to pass a bill that stops illegal criminals from harming US citizens. We also ask that You move across Congress, bringing repentance to every member of every party affiliation.

- "Arise, of Lord! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble." (Psalm 10:12)

5. GuideStar Puts It Back in Neutral - Family Research Council

It hasn't been a good two weeks for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) -- or its dwindling number of allies. Late Friday, a week after a second politically-motivated shooter was linked to SPLC, the organization suffered a huge embarrassment when the leadership of GuideStar pulled its "hate group" banners from its charity index. After users flooded the nonprofit tracker with complaints, CEO Jacob Harold announced that it would take down the labels from the pages of organizations like FRC. Ironically, Harold himself has become an issue since GuideStar has held itself out as politically and culturally neutral at the same time as he's tweeting photos of himself at the anti-Trump Women's March.

. . . It was another major blow to SPLC's credibility, which continues to suffer, even in the mainstream media. While the losses pile up for the so-called "civil rights" group, GuideStar learned a hard lesson about joining forces with an organization highlighted by the assailants in two cases of domestic terrorism. Harold's group could have avoided this entire controversy if it had stuck to the objectivity that made it one of the country's top charity raters in the first place. (Read more)
- Father God, we thank You for this report, and to know that Guidestar is no longer calling good, evil . . . and evil, good. May they continue to be "true to the true" in all they publish from this day forward, in Your name, amen.

- "Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another." (Leviticus 19:11)

6. '2 potential witnesses' in DNC-rigging lawsuit 'both died' - WND

Lawyers and plaintiffs suing the Democratic National Committee for rigging the 2016 presidential election say they're being harassed with threatening messages and "freaky" encounters and they fear for their safety - particularly in the wake of the mysterious and unsolved murder of DNC staffer Seth Rich - but a federal court has denied their request for protection.

"We filed the motion because we do feel that not only us, but our staff and the plaintiffs, are deserving of a motion," attorney Elizabeth Beck, who is litigating the case, told WND. "But our court system does not have the resources to do so."

She continued: "The court, in denying our motion for protection, stated in its order that the federal Marshals Service doesn't have enough resources to devote that amount of protection." (Read more)
- Lord, we hear these kinds of stories and are concerned about the depths of the attacks against Conservatives and those who are trying to release the US from the grip of evil. We ask Your supernatural blocking of any attempts to harm them.

- "Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants - how I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many people with which Your enemies have reproached, O Lord." (Psalm 89:50,51)

7. New study of Seattle's $15 minimum wage says it costs jobs- AP

A new study of Seattle's $15-an-hour minimum wage law says it costs jobs, contrary to another new study released last week. The Seattle Times reports a University of Washington team found the law boosted pay in low-wage jobs since 2014 but that it also caused a 9 percent reduction in hours worked. For an average low-wage Seattle worker, that's a loss of about $125 per month.

The study says there would be about 5,000 more low-wage jobs in the city without the law. Seattle was one of the first U.S. cities to adopt a $15 minimum wage law. It is raising the minimum to $15 by 2021.

A review last week by University of California at Berkeley economists found the law raised pay without hurting jobs in the restaurant industry.(Read more)
- Lord, this fact is something that should have been easy for legislators to see before they passed it. We pray for a real move of Your Spirit in US leadership to have foresight before allowing such bills to be passed.

- "For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it." (Ecclesiastes 7:12)

8. U.S. government websites hacked with pro-ISIS rant, officials say - CBS News

Government websites, many of them in Ohio, were hacked Sunday with a message that purports to be supportive of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). A message posted on the website of Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich said, "You will be held accountable Trump, you and all your people for every drop of blood flowing in Muslim countries." The message, left by "Team System Dz," also ended, "I love the Islamic state."

The same message also infiltrated government websites in the town of Brookhaven, New York, according to news reports in that state, as well as the website for Howard County, Maryland. In the past, the group also claimed responsibility for similar hacks in the past in Richland County, Wisconsin, and in places such as Aberdeen, Scotland, and Sweden. (Read more)
- Lord, we pray that You will find the perpetrators of these hackings and bring them to justice swiftly.

- "But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates." (Psalm 11:5b)

9. Russian submarine successfully test-fires Bulava intercontinental missile- Tass

The Russian Northern Fleet's Project 955 underwater missile cruiser Yuri Dolgoruky has successfully test-fired a Bulava missile from the Barents Sea and hit all the designated targets at the Kura practice range in Kamchatka, Russia's Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

"The Project 955 Borey-class underwater missile cruiser Yuri Dolgoruky has made a successful launch of a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile from the designated area of the Barents Sea towards the Kura practice range in Kamchatka. The launch was made from the submerged position in compliance with a combat training plan," the Defense Ministry said.

"The parameters of the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile's flight trajectory were practiced in the normal regime. According to the confirmed data of the registering equipment, the warheads of the intercontinental ballistic missile performed a full cycle of the flight and successfully hit the designated targets at the practice range," the Defense Ministry said. (Read more)
- Father, once again we pray protection of US interests and a move of Your Spirit over Russia.

- "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." (Isaiah 54:17)

10. Russian envoy to US reportedly headed back home - Times of Israel

Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, has reportedly been called back to Moscow amid mounting scrutiny over his contacts with senior members of US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign team now under investigation by the FBI and the US Congress.

These members include senior aide Jared Kushner, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, all of whom have failed or have refused to disclose meetings and conversations with Kislyak and other Russian officials at various times.

The US-Russia Business Council is set to hold a going away party on July 11 for Kislyak, who has served as Russia's envoy to Washington since 2008, according to Buzzfeed which cited three unnamed individuals familiar with the events. The shindig will reportedly take place at the St. Regis Hotel.

The Russian envoy has become an intriguing figure in the wider probes into alleged collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign to sway the presidential elections in 2016. (Read more)

- Father, whatever is going on in this continual hunt for "collusion" we pray that You would stop it. It has continued to divide the US and has attempted to remove a duly-elected President.

- "When my enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish at Your Presence."
(Psalm 9: 3)

12. Oil truck fireball kills 153 in Pakistan as crowd races to get free fuel - NY Daily News

More than 150 people, many of them collecting fuel leaking from an oil tanker that crashed in eastern Pakistan on Sunday, were killed when the truck exploded and spread a wall of fire across the road, officials said.

Another 100 people were injured in the blast near Bahawalpur, and at least 40 of the villagers treated at a nearby hospital suffered burns on at least 70% of their bodies, according to medical workers.

The death toll of 153 was expected to rise, officials said. (Read more)

- Father, we pray Your comfort and Presence for these people who may not know You. You alone can reveal yourself to them at this difficult time.

- "For God so loved the word that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)