The Daily Brief: Monday, November 27, 2017

The Daily Brief: Monday, November 27, 2017

1. ISIS Attack in Egyptian Mosque Kills Over 300 - Breaking Israel News

At least 305 people were killed when the Rawdah Sufi mosque in Bir al Abed in the northern Sinai was attacked on Friday by 25-30 ISIS militants armed with automatic rifles. 27 children were among the dead and an additional 128 people were injured.

The attackers drove up to the mosque in five SUV's and took positions at the entrances. An explosive was set off in the building adjacent to the mosque and the Islamists killed worshippers as they exited the mosque. The attackers, wearing military fatigues, had heavy machine guns and had long beards and hair. At least one man was carrying a flag of the Islamic State (ISIS), which later took credit for the attack. The assailants continued their assault, firing on ambulances as they arrived.

The mosque marks the birthplace of the founder of Sufism. Sufism is a mystical branch of Islam Islamists consider to be heretical. ISIS has targeted Sufis in the past and has also killed more than 100 Coptic Christians in Egypt in the past year. (Read more)

See also: Report: Egypt Mosque Attackers Carried ISIS Flags - Daily Caller

The militants who carried out a massive terror attack on an Egyptian mosque were carrying Islamic State flags, the country's chief prosecutor said Saturday. Nabil Sadeq also said that the death toll had risen to 305 people, including 27 children, making it the deadliest terrorist incident in Egypt's modern history.

In a coordinated attack during Friday prayer services, Islamic militants bombed the al-Rawdah mosque in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and opened fire on worshipers as they tried to flee to safety. Survivors told Sadeq's office that the attack was carried out by 25 to 30 militants wearing masks and military-style uniforms, reports ABC News.

As of Saturday afternoon, ISIS had not formally claimed responsibility for the attack. ISIS-aligned militants are entrenched in the Sinai Peninsula and have clashed with Egyptian security forces there for several years. The al-Rawdah mosque is frequently attended by Sufi Muslims, a mystic school of Islam considered heretical by Sunni Islamic militants, including ISIS. Although past ISIS attacks in Sinai have targeted Egyptian troops and police, as well as Christian churches, the terror group has struck Sufis in other countries such as Iraq.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, a former armed forces commander, has promised the "utmost force" in retribution for Friday's attack. "What is happening is an attempt to stop us from our efforts in the fight against terrorism," Sisi said Friday in a televised address, according to the BBC. "The armed forces and the police will avenge our martyrs and restore security and stability with the utmost force." Egyptian officials said Saturday that the military had carried out air strikes and raids overnight against militants believed to be responsible. (Read more)
- Father, we mourn for those killed in this attack in a mosque in Egypt. As the people of Islam turn against each other, seeking to destroy each other, we ask that You, O Holy One, would reveal Yourself to them for salvation, bringing your peace. We ask this in Your name, amen.

- (Please study Ephesians 2:14-17)

2. Syria peace talks: Putin discusses political solution with Erdogan & Rouhani amid ISIS demise - RT

Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding a meeting in Sochi with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Hassan Rouhani of Iran to share their views on Syrian reconciliation. The three countries previously agreed to be guarantors of the Syrian peace process.

Welcoming his dignitary guests, Putin said the meeting comes at a crucial moment in the Syrian armed conflict, when there is an opportunity to end it.

"The militants in Syria have sustained a decisive blow, and now there is a realistic chance to end the multiyear civil war," he said. This would require giving the Syrians a period of peace, during which they would be able to settle their differences, Putin added. This will require compromise by all parties in Syria, both the government and the rebels, he stressed.

The three leaders "are planning to discuss further steps to ensure long-term stability in this country" amid "the successes in combatting terrorism and visible reduction of violence in Syria," the Kremlin statement said.

Previously, Putin also held telephone conversations with US President Donald Trump and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow and Washington had reached "a fairly sustainable cooperation" on Syria, though there were "huge problems in condemning terrorists and extremists." (Read more)
- Father, as we gaze upon the photo shown in this article, our blood almost runs cold. We see a smiling Vladimir Putin, standing in between Iran's Rouhani (on his left) and Turkey's Erdogan (on his right), with the flags of all three nations lined up behind them.

Could this new alliance between Turkey, Iran and Russia signal the beginning of what will soon become the Ezekiel 38 war between Gog and Magog?

Father, help us to prepare our hearts for this hour, and help us reach as many souls as we can for You, while there is still time. Thank You, Lord, for hearing our prayer, amen and amen.

- "All the people shall keep the watch of the Lord." (2 Chronicles 23:6)

3. The GOP Tax Plan's Number One Goal: Back to Growth - The National Interest The "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" has passed the House of Representatives, and the Senate will vote on its version of the legislation the week after Thanksgiving. Should both bills pass and the bodies agree on a final compromise legislative wording, it will change the American economy, American politics and the world. Just what single piece of legislation could be that powerful? The outlines of the tax reform/tax reduction bills are known. And the likelihood of final passage is as certain as anything can be in Washington, DC, as the House and Senate bills and the president's vision all live within the "framework" agreed upon months ago. The only real differences are in timing and focus. The corporate rate will drop from 35 percent-the highest in the industrialized world-down to 20 percent. After-tax cash flow for $100 in earnings will increase from $65 to $80-a 23 percent increase. Imagine what that will do to the stock market valuations. American competitiveness will allow firms to stay in the United States, rather than continuing to be at risk of purchase by foreign companies that enjoy lower corporate tax rates. And Americans will join the rest of the world in adopting a territorial tax system that allows us to repatriate American business earnings without penalty. (Read more)
- Our Father, we thank You for the GOP tax plan. It seems better for America and our people. We pray that this plan will have Your hand on it to lead the Senate when they, too, vote on this bill. Let there be nothing hidden in this legislation, we pray. In Your Name, amen.

- "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter." (Proverbs 25:2)

4. Uranium One noose is tightening - American Thinker

Now that the FBI's informant on the Uranium One deal has been outed and the nondisclosure agreement formerly muzzling him abrogated, it is possible to see the outlines of the devastating case to be made against not just Hillary Clinton, but the entire Obama administration.

Two intrepid reporters, John Solomon of The Hill and Sara Carter of Circa News and Sinclair Broadcasting, are gaining access to some of the reported 50,000 documents in the possession of William Campbell, the whistleblower who went to the FBI with the scary details of what appeared to him to be an illegal attempt by Russian entities to take over the world uranium market, including even the uranium resources in our ground.

The Russian plot to "control global energy resources" was reported by Campbell to the FBI a year prior to approval of the acquisition. There is every reason to expect - and the proof would be available to congressional investigators or (cough) a special counsel or U.S. attorney - that this information was passed up the chain to A.G. Eric Holder and even President Obama.

Yet CFIUS - the group of agency heads that must approve such transactions on which Holder and Hillary sat - went ahead and approved this sale that the U.S. knew was part of a Russian plot to control the world uranium and energy markets. (Read more)
- Father God, we praise You that this wicked deed is coming to light and being evaluated for its affect on our country. We pray that You would direct the paths of those who are looking into all the documents involved and that Your kind of justice would be done. We pray this would bring a new level of uprightness to those who work in our government.

- "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil." (Proverbs 16:6)

5. FBI Investigating House Democrat For Paying His Opponent To Drop Out Of Race - ZeroHedge

The FBI is investigating Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Bob Brady for conspiracy, false statements and campaign in relation to payments his campaign allegedly made to 2012 primary opponent Jimmie Moore in order to persuade him to drop out of the race, court documents reviewed by The Daily Caller show. FBI special agent Jonathan R. Szeliga filed a search warrant request on November 1 in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for all emails associated with Brady's campaign email, BobCongress@Aol.com

Szeliga asserted he had "probable cause to believe that Kenneth Smukler, Robert Brady, Donald 'D.A.' Jones, Jimmie Moore, and Carolyn Cavaness and others known and unknown have committed violations" including charges of conspiracy, false statements, producing false records, causing false campaign contribution reports and violating limits on campaign contributions and expenditures. (Read more)
- Father, we see that an FBI investigation will determine if Rep. Bob Brady violated the law during his campaign by paying his opponent to drop out of the race. In Your name, let all things hidden be revealed. We give You honor an glory.

- "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:13)

6. White House confident Mick Mulvaney trumps outgoing director's pick to head CFPB - Washington Examiner

The White House insisted Saturday that President Trump has the authority to appoint a successor to temporarily oversee the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, rather than a former acting director. The White House had sought council from the Office of Legal Counsel within the Department of Justice, which weighs in on decisions to guide the executive branch on what is legal and what is not. The dispute over who is in charge of the agency began when two officials were appointed to the post Friday.

Trump said Friday that he was naming White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to the post temporarily, but outgoing CFPB Director Richard Cordray announced he was tapping his chief of staff, Leandra English, to be his successor.

The CFPB was established during the financial crisis that began in 2007 to set regulations on consumer finance products, like credit cards and auto loans. Republicans want to revamp the agency because they say it is responsible for saddling banks with unnecessary regulations, while Democrats have tried to stave off the influence of the Trump administration on CFPB. Asked whether the case would end up in court, a senior administration official replied, "We're hoping that it doesn't." The official continued, "We have gone out of our way to avoid a legal battle with Cordray and his actions show he is trying to provoke one." (Read more)
- Father God, President Trump has appointed Mike Mulvaney to temporarily fill the position as overseer of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This appointment has been met with opposition. Let the president lend His ear to You for guidance as he chooses the right person to permanently fill this important position. Thank You, Lord.

- "Where the word of a king is, there is power; And who may say to him, "What are you doing?" (Ecclesiastes 8:4)

7. Judicial Watch: New FBI Records Show FBI Leadership's Conflicts of Interest Discussions on Clinton Email Investigation - Judicial Watch

Judicial Watch today released 79 pages of Justice Department documents concerning ethics issues related to FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe's involvement with his wife's political campaign. The documents include an email showing Mrs. McCabe was recruited for a Virginia state senate race in February 2015 by then-Virginia Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam's office.

The news that Clinton used a private email server broke five days later, on March 2, 2015. Five days after that, former Clinton Foundation board member and Democrat party fundraiser, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, met with the McCabes. She announced her candidacy on March 12. Soon afterward, Clinton/McAuliffe-aligned political groups donated nearly $700,000 (40% of the campaign's total funds) to McCabe's wife for her campaign.

An October 23, 2016, email shows McCabe running the response effort to a Wall Street Journal article that was published that day, titled "Clinton Ally Aided Campaign of FBI Official's Wife." McCabe provides Michael Kortan, the assistant director of Public Affairs, his version of a timeline of events surrounding the Clinton investigation and his wife's campaign. McCabe said he contacted then-FBI Chief of Staff Chuck Roseburg about Jill McCabe's candidacy and was told that "the D [Comey] has no issue with it."

(Judicial Watch earlier this month released documents showing that McCabe finally did recuse himself from the Clinton investigation only a week before last year's presidential election.) (Read more)
- Father, we see the laws of our country and Your laws of righteousness being violated from one agency to another and up and down the agencies. Lord, we thank You for those who search out the truth and publish the doings of those to whom is entrusted the enforcing of our laws. We pray right now for a thorough cleansing of all these agencies that are now corrupted with evil intentions and alliances. Lord, fill our government with those who respect and obey our laws and have Your laws written on their hearts.

- "Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion and keep their hands from excepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil; he will dwell on the heights," (Isaiah 33:15-16a)

8. Washington Post reporter caught plotting liberal agenda with billionaire George Soros - Fox News

Allegedly unbiased Washington Post reporter Janell Ross spoke at a top-secret meeting of liberal movers and shakers last week, where Democratic donors including billionaire George Soros outlined the future of their progressive agenda. The Democracy Alliance, which hosted the event, bills itself as "the largest network of donors dedicated to building the progressive movement in the United States" on the group's official website. The liberal group also claims to "play a leading role in fostering the infrastructure necessary to advance a progressive agenda" in the United States.

The group intended to keep "the identities of its members and guests confidential," according to the Beacon, but the paper obtained a "detailed conference agenda that lists both events and featured guests." Once the Beacon revealed the attendees, the group reportedly beefed up security and asked participants to keep details off social media. One of the surprising guests was Ross, who used to pass as a somewhat impartial reporter for the prestigious Post. While the paper's slogan is, "Democracy Dies in Darkness," she apparently wanted to keep her bosses in the dark about attending the liberal planning session and hanging out with prominent Democratic donors such as Soros. (Read more)
- Precious Lord, we are appalled that this woman is participating in an activity that aims at controlling freedom in America, which would include freedom of the press. Lord, open her eyes and the eyes of all the participants to the fact that no one will be better off if socialists and communists take over. We speak utter failure to all these plans made in secret and promoted and funded by those who do not love You and do not love America.

- "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin." (Isaiah 30:1)

9. Trump's biggest win yet comes thanks to Congress - CNBC

President Donald Trump should give special thanks to two U.S. Senators this Thanksgiving weekend. One is still serving in the Senate, the other recently retired. One is a Republican. The other a Democrat. And what should President Trump be thanking them for? Quite simply they have handed him one of the biggest victories any president could claim in the past 45 years. Yes, this has happened even as one of the most widely covered stories of the past year has been President Trump's difficulties in working with Congress.

The growing rift between him and Republican Senators John McCain, Jeff Flake, and Bob Corker alone has made headlines for months. For a U.S. president to have this many public feuds with senators from his own party this early in his presidency is really unprecedented and makes for hot news copy.

But that story ignores a bigger and longer-lasting development in the federal judiciary. That brings us first to naming the Republican gift giver: Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa. The longtime member of Congress has big time clout as the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. And Grassley has just used that clout to eliminate one of the final hurdles in the already furious pace of Trump administration judicial appointments to the federal bench.

Late last week, Grassley decided not to honor a Senate tradition of holding up hearings for judicial nominees who aren't cleared by their own home state senators. That tradition is known as the "blue slip courtesy" born out of time before nationwide communication technology when a given state's senators had access to much more information about nominees than their colleagues from the rest of the country.

Grassley correctly noted that Democrats were now trying to use the blue slips tradition to replace the filibuster, and he's having none of that. As recently as last month, the Democrats and much of the news media's punditry were expecting Grassley, who is no fan of the president, to keep the blue slip tradition in place. But Grassley gave Trump this very special gift instead.

And that brings us to the Democrat who provided the initial generous source of President Trump's solid triumph: Former Senate Majority Leader, and Democrat, Harry Reid. Reid is a major reason this good fortune has befallen President Trump because Reid was the one who killed the filibuster rule for judicial nominees in 2013. And when he killed it, it was gone for good. (Read more)
- Father, in ancient Greece, we learn the story of the Gordian knot -- a knot that was tied around an enemy to keep him "frozen in place" and unable to move. According to this history, the only way to loosen this intractable knot was to cut it off completely.

We thank You, Father God, that Your angels have now cut off this Gordian knot from our Senate rules, so that much of the President's agenda -- including filling judicial appointments -- can now move forward. Amen!

- "The Lord is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked." (Psalm 129:4)

10. Diplomats Sound the Alarm as They Are Pushed Out in Droves - New York Times

. . .The departures mark a new stage in the broken and increasingly contentious relationship between Mr. Tillerson and much of his department's work force. By last spring, interviews at the time suggested, the guarded optimism that greeted his arrival had given way to concern among diplomats about his aloofness and lack of communication. By the summer, the secretary's focus on efficiency and reorganization over policy provoked off-the-record anger.

Now the estrangement is in the open, as diplomats going out the door make their feelings known and members of Congress raise questions about the impact of their leaving.

In a letter to Mr. Tillerson last week, Democratic members of the House Foreign Relations Committee, citing what they said was "the exodus of more than 100 senior Foreign Service officers from the State Department since January," expressed concern about "what appears to be the intentional hollowing-out of our senior diplomatic ranks." (Read more)
- Father, we thank You that those angels are now working overtime to "drain the swamp" in Washington, D.C., making our city new and clean. We pray prayers of protection for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as he continues to work to get this job done, in Your Name, Abba, amen.

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

The Daily Brief: Wednesday, November 22, 2017

The Daily Brief: Wednesday, November 22, 2017 (Short Form)

1. Liberal Millionaires Group Seeks to 'Fundamentally Reset' America's Ideology and Economy - Washington Free Beacon

A group of deep-pocketed progressive millionaires seeks to "fundamentally reset" America's ideology and economy and "expose the dogma of free enterprise, limited government, and traditional family values," according to a brochure obtained by the Washington Free Beacon at a secretive progressive dark money donor conference. Patriotic Millionaires's newest organizational overview, which is not the same brochure that is currently available on its website, was obtained by the Free Beacon at the Democracy Alliance's fall investment conference held last week at the swanky La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif. Each Democracy Alliance member vows to steer hundreds of thousands in funding to approved left-wing organizations the group supports.

Race, immigration, reproductive freedom, social equality, mass incarceration, and global climate change are labeled as the group's most pressing issues, suggesting they can be dealt with if "a political economy capable of meeting the basic needs of our citizens" is established. The group hopes to establish these tenets as the dominant political system in the United States by 2026, when America celebrates its 250th birthday, its brochure states. (Read more)
- Father, we pray the Democracy Alliance's plans will fail completely, humiliating all who are involved - because their plans are directly against Your Will and Your Word.

- There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.
(Proverbs 21:30)

2. FBI has not verified Trump dossier - Washington Examiner

FBI and Justice Department officials have told congressional investigators in recent days that they have not been able to verify or corroborate the substantive allegations of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign outlined in the Trump dossier. The FBI received the first installment of the dossier in July 2016. It received later installments as they were written at the height of the presidential campaign, which means the bureau has had more than a year to investigate the allegations in the document. The dossier was financed by the Hillary Clinton campaign and compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele.

An August 24, 2017 subpoena from the House Intelligence Committee to the FBI and Justice Department asked for information on the bureau's efforts to validate the dossier. Specifically, the subpoena demanded "any documents, if they exist, that memorialize DOJ and/or FBI efforts to corroborate, validate, or evaluate information provided by Mr. Steele and/or sub-sources and/or contained in the 'Trump Dossier.'" According to sources familiar with the matter, neither the FBI nor the Justice Department has provided documents in response to that part of the committee's subpoena. But in face-to-face briefings with congressional staff, according to those sources, FBI and DOJ officials have said they cannot verify the dossier's charges of a conspiracy between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. (Read more)
- Father, we thank You for continued revelations and pray the House Intelligence Committee will find the whole truth regarding the Trump dossier.

- The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, (Romans 1:18)

3. Fusion GPS paid journalists, court papers confirm - Washington Examiner

Newly filed court documents confirm that Fusion GPS, the company mostly responsible for the controversial "Trump dossier" on presidential candidate Donald Trump, made payments to three journalists between June 2016 until February 2017. The revelation could be a breakthrough for House Republicans, who are exploring whether Fusion GPS used the dossier, which was later criticized for having inaccurate information on Trump, to feed anti-Trump stories to the press during and after the presidential campaign. The three journalists who were paid by Fusion GPS are known to have reported on "Russia issues relevant to [the committee's] investigation," the House Intelligence Committee said in a court filing.

But the recipients' names, the amounts, and purposes of those payments were either redacted from the documents that Fusion GPS filed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia or were not disclosed. Fusion has asked the court to issue a restraining order against the House committee, which is demanding documents from the company that, among other things, explain the payments it made to reporters. Most of the documents sought are banking records. (Read more)
- Father, reveal everything that exposes the truth regarding what was done to influence and corrupt our political process.

- Behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23b)

4. Trump expresses grief over killed Border Patrol agent - Washington Times

President Trump on Monday mourned the death of a Border Patrol agent who was killed in an ambush attack in Texas near the Mexico border. The president acknowledged the killing when wishing Americans a happy Thanksgiving, sending his wishes "especially to our brave men and women serving in our military, and our Border Patrol and ICE agents along the very dangerous southern border. As you heard, we lost a Border Patrol officer yesterday, and another one was brutally beaten and badly, badly hurt. Looks like he'll make it," Mr. Trump said at the start of a Cabinet meeting.

The two agents were attacked Sunday in West Texas. They were bludgeoned, perhaps with rocks, according to reports. The Border Patrol released few details about the circumstances surrounding the death of Agent Rogelio Martinez, 36, including whether investigators have any suspects or think smugglers or illegal immigrants were involved. The agent who survived is in the hospital. Mr. Trump said the violence underscored the urgent need for a border wall. "We're going to have the wall as part of what we're doing. We need it," he said. "It's rough territory. That's where the drugs are coming in, a lot of things are happening along the border, the southern border, and we're going to straighten it out." (Read more)
- Father, we mourn over this life taken, Agent Rogelio Martinez, and pray Your comfort for his family. We also lift up the other officer who was badly injured to make a full recovery.

- 'For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,' declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 30:17a)

5. Justice Department Vows to Overturn California Judge's Ruling on Sanctuary Cities and States - Washington Free Beacon

The Trump administration has vowed to overturn a federal judge's decision to block President Trump's executive order cutting off federal funds to sanctuary cities, counties, and states. A federal judge in Northern California determined Monday that Trump cannot place new conditions on spending Congress has approved. The judge's ruling responded to lawsuits brought by two California counties, San Francisco and Santa Clara, taking exception to Trump's threat to cut off federal grants to localities that limit law enforcement's cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities. The Justice Department late Monday countered that cities, counties, and states do not have the ability to flout federal law and continue receiving federal money without any repercussions.

"The District Court exceeded its authority today when it barred the president from instructing his cabinet members to enforce existing law," said Justice Department spokeswoman Devin O'Malley. "The Justice Department will vindicate the president's lawful authority to direct the executive branch." (Read more)
- Father, we pray for alignment to the rule of law between the Executive and Judicial branches of our government. We pray the Executive branch will not be hindered from doing what is necessary to keep our nation safe.

- "Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!" (1 Samuel 14:6)

6. The Trump Era of Antitrust Enforcement Dawns - Breitbart

The Justice Department filed its much-anticipated lawsuit to block AT&T's $85.4 billion bid for Time Warner, signaling the end of the Obama era of antitrust and the beginning of the Trump era. The Obama administration's Justice Department, for example, approved Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011, imposing numerous conditions that demanded a level of scrutiny and regulatory vigilance that has been notably absent in the years since. For many on the political left and right, that deal has come to stand for the proposition that so-called behavioral remedies are not able to effectively avoid anti-competitive harm in the digital-everything age.

Makan Delrahim, the Justice Department's top antitrust lawyer, made this point in a speech to fellow lawyers last week. "Behavioral remedies presume that the Justice Department should serve as a roving ombudsman of the affairs of business. Even if we wanted to do this, we often don't have the skills or the tools to do so effectively," he said. Delrahim's speech made clear that in his view-which is to say, now the view of the U.S. government-"antitrust is law enforcement, not regulation." That means that effective antitrust enforcement should not require erecting new powers for the administrative state but instead assure that markets can function properly. (Read more)
- Father, we pray Makan Delrahim's strategy of increasing business competition and effective law enforcement will provide long-term benefits to our markets and ultimately, our citizens.

- Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards. (Proverbs 12:14)

7. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Announces December Vote to Repeal Net Neutrality - Breitbart

Chairman Pai plans to unveil his proposed rulemaking to repeal net neutrality on Wednesday. Pai declared in a statement on Tuesday:

For almost twenty years, the Internet thrived under the light-touch regulatory approach established by President Clinton and a Republican Congress. This bipartisan framework led the private sector to invest $1.5 trillion building communications networks throughout the United States. And it gave us an Internet economy that became the envy of the world. But in 2015, the prior FCC bowed to pressure from President Obama. On a party-line vote, it imposed heavy-handed, utility-style regulations upon the Internet. That decision was a mistake. It's depressed investment in building and expanding broadband networks and deterred innovation.

Today, I have shared with my colleagues a draft order that would abandon this failed approach and return to the longstanding consensus that served consumers well for decades. Under my proposal, the federal government will stop micromanaging the Internet. Instead, the FCC would simply require Internet service providers to be transparent about their practices so that consumers can buy the service plan that's best for them and entrepreneurs and other small businesses can have the technical information they need to innovate. (Read more)
- Father, we thank You for Chairman Pai and his efforts to deregulate the internet. We pray his proposal will receive wide, bipartisan support.

- Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity. (Proverbs 21:5a)

8. Trump Says Alabama Can't Afford To Elect A Democrat - Daily Caller

President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that Alabama shouldn't elect a Democrat over embattled Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore. "I can tell you one thing for sure. We don't need a liberal person in there, a Democrat, [Doug] Jones. I've looked at his record, it's terrible on crime, it's terrible on the border, it's terrible on the military," Trump said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and National Republican Campaign Committee chairman Cory Gardner have both asked Moore to drop out of the Alabama race after several women accused the Senate candidate of having sexual encounters with them when they were minors. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders has said repeatedly that Trump wants Alabama voters to decide who their next senator should be. The president left open the possibility Tuesday that he would visit the Yellowhammer State to campaign for Moore. (Read more)
- Father, we pray the people of Alabama will have discernment as they go to the polls in December to elect a new Senator. We pray for Your choice, a man of integrity who will do Your will.

- But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25)

9. Court Strikes Abortion Buffer Zone Law - Liberty Council

A New Jersey federal court struck down a City of Englewood eight-foot buffer zone that prohibits pro-life speech near abortion facilities. Applying the U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous 2014 opinion in McCullen v. Coakley, which held unconstitutional an identically worded Massachusetts buffer zone law, the New Jersey court ruled the ordinance violates the First Amendment.

The decision provides fresh optimism for Liberty Counsel's lawsuit against the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to strike down the twenty-foot buffer zone ordinance passed by the City at the behest of Planned Parenthood. The Harrisburg ordinance violates the constitutional rights of Liberty Counsel's clients Becky Biter and Colleen Reilly, who are Christian sidewalk counsellors being prevented from telling women about alternatives to abortion they will not hear once inside Planned Parenthood. Just as in Englewood, the Harrisburg City Council failed to consider any less restrictive alternatives to its speech ban, opting instead to become enthusiastic agents for the Planned Parenthood agenda.

Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania are in the same federal appellate jurisdiction, covered by the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, where Liberty Counsel has already secured an early victory in the Harrisburg case. The Harrisburg trial court is now bound by the favorable Third Circuit ruling as the case proceeds, and should be favorably influenced by the plainly sound reasoning of its sister court in New Jersey.

"The New Jersey decision is a great example of clear constitutional reasoning, uncorrupted by the 'abortion distortion' that has pervaded so many court decisions since Roe v. Wade," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel."The decision should be an encouragement to pro-life sidewalk counsellors around the country, and a warning to state and local governments who increasingly abdicate their duties to uphold the constitutional rights of their citizens in order to carry water for Planned Parenthood," said Staver. (Read more)
- Father, we thank You for this decision and pray for the removal of all "Buffer Zone" laws around the country. We pray Christian counselors who want to help these women choose life for their babies will not be prevented from speaking to them.

- Now, choose life! Then you and your children may live. (Deuteronomy 30:19b)

10. Rex Tillerson's State Department Marks 'Transgender Day of Remembrance' - Breitbart

A State Department press release in the name of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is honoring the memory of the so-called "transgender" individuals around the world on "Transgender Day of Remembrance. On Transgender Day of Remembrance, the United States honors the memory of the many transgender individuals who have lost their lives to acts of violence," the statement read. The Day of Remembrance was invented in 1999 by San Francisco activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith. It is not recognized by Congress and a resolution introduced this year by Rep. Joseph Kennedy (D-MA) to change that has received little traction. According to a State Department spokesman, the department has issued a statement in the name of the secretary for Transgender Day of Remembrance since 2013.

The statement in Tillerson's name continues, claiming that transgender rights are enshrined in the U.S. Constitution: Transgender individuals and their advocates, along with lesbian, gay, bisexual and intersex persons, are facing increasing physical attacks and arbitrary arrests in many parts of the world. Often these attacks are perpetrated by government officials, undermining the rule of law. Transgender persons should not be subjected to violence or discrimination, and the human rights they share with all persons should be respected.

On this Transgender Day of Remembrance, the United States remains committed to advancing the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons. These principles are inherent in our own Constitution and drive the diplomacy of the United States. (Read more)
- Father, our nation desires to uphold the human rights of all individuals, but we pray this statement will not stand as an endorsement of this lifestyle.

- God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27)