The Daily Brief: Tuesday, June 6, 2017

The Daily Brief: Tuesday, June 6, 2017

1. White House: Trump will not exert executive privilege over Comey - CNN affiliate

President Donald Trump will not try to block fired FBI Director James Comey from testifying before Congress, deciding not to invoke executive privilege, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday at the White House briefing.

"The President's power to assert executive privilege is well-established. However, in order to facilitate a swift and thorough examination of the facts sought by the Senate intelligence committee, President Trump will not assert executive privilege regarding James Comey's scheduled testimony," said a statement issued by the White House. (Read more)

- Lord, thank You for granting President Trump wisdom in this time when everything he tries to do is attacked. We thank You and trust that Mr. Comey will speak the truth - let nothing he says be in revenge or political lies.

- "Behold You desire truth in the inward parts." (Psalm 51:6)

2. Trump Announces Plan To Privatize Air Traffic Control - NPR

President Trump announced Monday a plan to privatize the nation's air traffic control system - a move that would remove the job of tracking and guiding airplanes from the purview of the Federal Aviation Administration. "Today we're proposing to take American air travel into the future, finally," Trump said.

The nation's air traffic control system was designed when far fewer people flew, Trump said, calling it "stuck, painfully, in the past." He also called the system "ancient, broken, antiquated" and "horrible" and said his reforms would make it safer and more reliable. The FAA has worked to upgrade its system, but Trump and other critics say it was taking far too long. "Honestly, they didn't know what the hell they were doing," Trump said. "A total waste of money."

Privatization of air traffic control is an idea long supported by most of the commercial airlines. Executives from those companies joined the president at the White House to announce the plan.

Guided by legislation that has been proposed in the past by House Transportation Committee chairman Bill Shuster, a private, nonprofit corporation would be created to operate, manage and control air traffic control nationwide, similar to what Canada does. The FAA would still have some oversight capacity, but a board made up mostly of representatives of the major airlines would govern this corporation. (Read more)

- Father, we pray that if this plan is from You, let it be created swiftly. We ask that the pathway be smoothed out for its implementation.

- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5a)

3. Gunman 'singled out' victims in Orlando shooting spree - CNN

The gunman in Monday's fatal shooting spree at an Orlando, Florida, business targeted his victims and had a "negative relationship" with at least one of them, Orlando County Sheriff Jerry Demings said. "He was certainly singling out the individuals he shot," Demings told reporters Monday afternoon.

Police say he killed five employees of Fiamma Inc. before killing himself.

The gunman was identified as John Robert Neumann, Jr. He was fired in April by Fiamma Inc., which makes accessories for recreational vehicles. Monday morning, he pointed his gun at a new, temporary employee and told her to leave, Demings said. (Read more)
- Lord, we pray Your comfort for the victims and those affected by this senseless tragedy. Be their counselor, comforter, and grant them hope in the midst of despair.

- "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)

4. Evangelicals who propelled Trump to White House now faced with rising army of 'hidden atheists' - Raw Story

There have been various reports showing a marked increase in nonbelievers, including atheists, agnostics and others who do not identify with a religion or say that religion is not important to them. Between 2007 and 2014, the portion of Americans who do not believe in a god grew by over 10 percent, according to a study done by the Pew Research Center.

The growing numbers of nonreligious people in the United States are propelled by generational change, as young people, who are more likely to be unaffiliated with a religion, reach adulthood and slowly replace their older and more religious counterparts.

A recent study by psychologists Will Gervais and Maxine Najle at the University of Kentucky concluded that the number of atheists in the United States "exceeds 20 percent with a roughly 0.8 probability." (Read more)
- Father, this is a tremendously sad article, as it reveals how far away from You we have fallen. We must return to You. We ask that You touch the hearts of every American, everyone who has fallen away or simply never knew You.

- "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a new heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)

5. Islamic Society of Greater Concord New Hampshire plans first permanent mosque in city - Concord Monitor

The Islamic Society of Greater Concord is working to establish a permanent mosque in a vacant industrial building on North Main Street, which if successful would be a first for the city. President Hubert Mask said the society has outgrown the rented space it uses at the East Concord Community Center. It's planning to buy the brick building set back from the road at 181 N. Main St. and marked "Capital Offset Co.," as well as an abutting house at 9 Pearl St.

The society will go to the zoning board this week to request the variances it needs for its plan. It's proposing to merge the two parcels and demolish the house to add parking.

Mask said Muslims come from as far away as Littleton and Lebanon for the society's busiest Friday prayers. The planned move would alleviate the headaches of operating out of a rented space and provide more room for a classroom, offices and separate prayer areas for men and women. Currently, Mask said, the imam has nowhere to meet privately with congregants, and the board of directors has no fixed place to store the society's documents. (Read more)
- Father, it feels like a quiet take-over of America as more and more mosques are appearing in cities across the nation. We pray for a move of Your Spirit against it, and for truth to be revealed.

- "So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising o the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him." (Isaiah 59:19)

6. High School Art Display: "Burn in Hell, Trump"- Todd Starnes/Fox

A New York school district has launched an investigation into a student art show that included profane references to President Trump. The art show at Shen High School featured a dozen drawings of the president's face. Above the drawings was a sign that read, "Draw on Me." On a nearby table was a box filled with markers.

Let's just say, the youngsters did not hold back. "Burn in Hell, Trump," wrote one person. Another person scrawled the word, (xxx) *wipe."

"I think it's horribly disrespectful," parent Erica McGowan told me. She said the art display inside a classroom reflected what she called the school district's glaring hypocrisy.

"They preach tolerance and no bullying and safe spaces and all that nonsense - as long as you are not a conservative," she said. "If somebody had put up pictures of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama - they would mow you down." (Read more)
- Father, these displays of disrespect are not pleasing to You, and we pray that You send Your Holy Spirit to bring conviction to the student and administration of this school.

- "Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king." (1 Peter 2:17)

7. 8 Filipino Christians Killed for Refusing to Recite Islamic Creed - Christian post

Eight Christians who were killed when an Islamic State-linked group stormed a Filipino city late last month were shot to death because of their refusal to recite the Islamic declaration of faith, government officials have reportedly said.

According to the Christian persecution monitoring website Morning Star News, eight Christians who were among the 19 killed when the IS-aligned Maute Group stormed the city of Marawi on May 23 were the first Christians killed during the insurgent uprising in the capital of Lanao del Sur Province on the Mindanao island. The city, which was once home to over 200,000 residents, has seen thousands of residents flee in recent weeks. (Read more)
- Lord we pray for strength and courage for our brethren in the Philippines. Let faith rise up within them and fear be removed.

- "Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm." (Psalm 105:15)

8. Gulf plunged into diplomatic crisis as countries cut ties with Qatar - The Guardian

The Gulf has been hit by its biggest diplomatic crisis in years after Arab nations including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of destabilising the region with its support for Islamist groups.

The countries said they would halt all land, air and sea traffic with Qatar, eject its diplomats and order Qatari citizens to leave the Gulf states within 14 days.

Shoppers in the Qatari capital, Doha, meanwhile packed supermarkets amid fears the country, which relies on imports from its neighbours, would face food shortages after Saudi Arabia closed its sole land border.

Social media reports from Doha showed supermarket shelves empty as nervous consumers began to worry that stocks of food and water would run out. As much as 40% of Qatar's food comes over the Saudi border. (Read more)
- Lord, we pray that this move will precipitate a fresh wind of Your Holy Spirit in the Middle East. Though Qatar supports terrorism, so does Saudi Arabia. Let Your Holy Spirit change the course of the region and bring them into Your Hand.

- "Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession." (Psalm 2:8)