The Daily Brief: Thursday, June 8, 2017

The Daily Brief: Thursday, June 8, 2017

1. James Comey's Latest Statement Is An Indictment Of Comey, Not Trump - The Federalist

Ahead of former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director James Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, the committee released the seven-page prepared statement Comey provided on Wednesday. While it's clear that Comey and his allies believe the statement is proof that President Donald Trump acted inappropriately, and perhaps even illegally, the statement itself is a much bigger indictment of Comey's own behavior over the last six months. Not only does Comey's statement corroborate Trump's claim that the former FBI director told him three times that the president was not being investigated by the FBI, it also reveals the Beltway game Comey was playing with the investigation. (Read more)
- Father, we pray these swirling controversies would end and our government will get on with the nation's business.

- They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth (1 Timothy 6:4-5, excerpt)

2. Trump Keeps Campaign Promise, Picks More Conservative Judges - Daily Caller

Presidential Donald Trump submitted a new slate of judicial nominees to the Senate Wednesday, naming nine appointees to federal courts across the country. The list is the second such slate that the president has submitted to the Senate. The White House also indicated that Trump will officially nominate three m0re judicial candidates in the coming days.

The nominations are the latest in what are expected to be monthly waves of nominations.

The most high-profile nominations include Justice Allison Eid for the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Ralph Erikson for the 8th Circuit, and Stephanos Bibas, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, who will be nominated to a seat on the 3rd Circuit in the near future. (Read more)
- Father, we pray for Your blessing upon these confirmation hearings and for these judges to restore order to our federal courts.

- "Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts." (Amos 5:15a)

3. Trump Pledges to Rebuild American Infrastructure with American Labor and Materials - CNS News

Speaking in Cincinnati, Ohio, President Donald Trump pledged to rebuild the nation's infrastructure using American labor and materials.

"We're here today to talk about rebuilding our nation's infrastructure. Isn't it about time? Spending money all over the world, except here. We don't spend our money here. We spend it all over, and we'll do it using American labor, American energy, American iron, aluminum and steel. We believe in the dignity of work and in the greatness of the American worker," he said. (Read more)
- Father, help our nation shift from dependency to work - work that rebuilds our nation, honors You and lifts people out of poverty.

- From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.
(Proverbs 12:14)

4. Trump Delays One Of The Most Expensive EPA Regulations Ever - Daily Caller

The Trump administration announced Tuesday evening it would delay the implementation of a smog rule that's been called one of the costliest clean air regulations ever.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt sent a letter to governors saying there's "insufficient information" to fully implement the 2015 rule on its current timeline. The rule lowers the national ground-level ozone, or smog, standard from 75 to 70 parts per billion.

Pruitt said states would have an extra year to meet the tightened ozone standard, and EPA would address concerns over outstanding issues, like background ozone and smog coming in from China and other East Asian countries.

"We share the goal of clean air, a robust economy and stronger, healthier communities," Pruitt said in a statement. (Read more)
- Father, You are Creator of all, and You can cleanse our air and water through natural systems and new technologies. We pray You would help us have wisdom without needing this regulatory burden and federal control.

- Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. (Isaiah 40:28)

5. Trump's Labor Secretary Targets Visa Program Fraud And Abuse - Daily Caller

President Donald Trump's Labor Secretary Alex Acosta announced plans Tuesday to "aggressively confront" visa program fraud and abuse.

In a policy shift, Acosta directed the Department of Labor (DOL) to "vigorously" enforce all laws within its jurisdiction over the non-immigrant visa program. He listed a series of specific actions meant to ramp up enforcement of visa program abuse.

Acosta directed DOL's Wage and Hour Division to use all its tools to enforce labor protections provided by the visa program. He also directed the Employment and Training Administration to propose changes to the Labor Condition Application that may help the government identify fraudulent activity.

The DOL says that it will be actively engaged in criminal referrals on a regular basis. Sources inside the DOL told The Daily Caller News Foundation that the previous administration did not always work actively with the inspector general on pursuing suspected cases of fraud and abuse of the visa program. (Read more)
- Father, thank You for a reinstitution of law and order throughout our nation. We pray this initiative will free people who are being used, essentially as slave labor within our borders.

- He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interest or profit from them. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live. (Ezekiel 18:17)

6. Supreme Court signals deference to religious nonprofit groups - Washington Times

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Monday that faith-based nonprofits can be treated the same as churches under federal retirement laws, in a decision signaling broad deference to religious institutions.

Houses of worship are allowed greater freedom to structure their retirement plans than most corporations under the Employee Retirement Security Act (ERISA), but it was unclear whether religiously affiliated nonprofits such as parochial schools and church-run hospitals would be afforded the same flexibility.

In an 8-0 ruling, the high court said Congress, in a 1980 amendment to the law, did intend for religious nonprofits to be considered a "church plan," making them exempt from some of ERISA's strict requirements.

"The question presented here is whether a church must have originally established such a plan for it to so qualify. ERISA, we hold, does not impose that requirement," Justice Elena Kagan wrote in the court's opinion. (Read more)
- Father, we are grateful for this decision that protects religious nonprofits from the ERISA regulations that would impact their ability to fulfill their mission.

- He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. (Proverbs 2:8)

7. DOJ: Almost 60,000 Drug Overdose Deaths in 2016; 'Largest Annual Increase in American History' - CNS News

"For Americans under the age of 50, drug overdoses now are the leading cause of death," Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told employees of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Tuesday. "On an average day, 90 Americans will die from an opioid-related overdose. About four people will overdose and die while we sit here this morning," Rosenstein said.

Outlining the "horrifying surge in drug overdoses," Rosenstein noted that in 2015, more than 52,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses, 33,000 of them from heroin, fentanyl and other opioids. (Read more)

- Father, we pray for Your deliverance from this spreading, deadly pestilence.

- The Lord saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now relax your hand." (1 Chronicles 21:15, excerpt)

8. UK elections: May win no longer a sure bet after terror attacks - Fox News

The once-dominant lead that British Prime Minister Theresa May had over her rivals in the run-up to Thursday's election may be the latest casualty of recent terror attacks that have unnerved British voters.

Polls show a tightening race between May and her lead opponent, Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, one day ahead of a general election that will determine how the U.K. negotiates its exit from the European Union and how it handles attacks from radical Muslims, among other things.

The 60-year-old May, who took over as prime minister last year after David Cameron stepped down following the Brexit referendum result, had what many saw as an insurmountable lead over her political rivals, a lead that could actually widen her current majority in the House of Commons. (Read more)

> > > For the latest results in the UK election, go here.
- Father, we pray the terrorists would not be rewarded with a victory in this election. Give the people of Britain wisdom as select their leaders.

- God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, "You must remove the evil person from among you." (1 Corinthians 5:13)

9. Trump to Iran: States backing terror risk 'falling victim' themselves - The Times of Israel

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday expressed sympathy for the victims of a terror attack in Iran that killed 13 people, but issued a barbed warning that the country was reaping what it sowed.

"We grieve and pray for the innocent victims of the terrorist attacks in Iran, and for the Iranian people, who are going through such challenging times," Trump said in a brief statement.

"We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote." (Read more)
- Father, many in Iran are sad and hurting today. We pray they would look to You, the One, True God for comfort and healing.

- Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8)

10. Qatar Dispute: Trump Congratulates Saudi King for Steps to 'Dry Up . . . Sources' of Terrorism - CNS News

President Trump phoned Saudi King Salman Tuesday to congratulate the kingdom for its leading role in drying up the "sources" of terrorism, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

The brief bulletin did not mention the word "Qatar," but the call comes amid a widening, Saudi-led campaign to isolate the small natural-gas-rich Gulf state, accused by its neighbors of supporting terrorists and extremists and of breaking ranks on Iran, Riyadh's arch rival. (Read more)
- Father, we are thankful for a unified front against funding for the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas by isolating Qatar. We pray there will be a quick commitment by the government of Qatar to discontinue support for these terrorist organizations.

- You will recompense them, O Lord, according to the work of their hands. (Lamentations 3:64)