Displaying items by tag: North America

On 24 May, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered Robb Elementary School in Texas, armed with a handgun and a rifle. He killed nineteen pupils and two teachers before he himself was shot dead. This was the deadliest school attack for a decade. Amid the outpouring of shock and grief, Joe Biden asked, ‘Why do we keep letting this happen? Why are we willing to live with this carnage?’ This tragedy has reignited the debate about guns, particularly since there had already been 27 other school shootings this year. Since his election, the president has made a number of pledges to tighten legislation, but he faces an uphill battle to convert any of them into action, given the fierce opposition from the Republicans and the powerful gun lobby.

On 25 May, a pastor in Atlanta was horribly murdered. Rev Marita Harrell had been living and serving in the city for thirty years. According to police, she had been mentoring and counselling a 27-year-old man who had recently left prison.' The 57-year-old was visiting the home as part of an outreach programme to ex-prisoners. Investigators believe the man stabbed her at his home and then dumped the body in a minivan which he later abandoned. He has now been arrested on suspicion of murder and arson. A Facebook post read, ‘Please keep her husband and two daughters in your prayers. May God's comforting arms envelop her family, friends, and loved ones.’

The EU is finding it difficult to decrease its dependence on Russian oil and gas. One alternative is the proposed EastMed pipeline, which would carry natural gas extracted from fields under the waters of Israel's and Cyprus's exclusive economic zones to Greece and from there to other European countries. The pre-feasibility studies of the pipeline, conducted from 2015-18 and paid for by the EU, found that the project is ‘technically feasible, economically viable and commercially competitive’. The US under secretary of state for political affairs, meeting with her counterparts in Turkey, has said that more pipelines are needed in the Eastern Mediterranean. However, the USA prefers to steer business to Turkey rather than to America's democratic allies, Cyprus, Israel and Greece. Algerian gas pipelines are also acceptable to the Americans, but the long-planned EastMed pipeline is not.

According to a lawsuit, Alaska Airlines violated federal and state anti-discrimination laws when it fired two Christian flight attendants who spoke out against the Biden administration-backed Equality Act bill which adds ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ to a protected classes list for public places, education and employment. Marli Brown and Lacey Smith, who have brought the lawsuit, were fired shortly after expressing concern about the bill after the airline asked for employees’ comments on it. They were compelled by their Christian faith to speak out against the bill's impact on religious freedom and women's sports, among other things. The airline immediately removed them from flight schedules, terminated their employment, and disparaged their religious expression and beliefs as 'hateful,' 'discriminatory,' and 'offensive’. Alaska Airlines' treatment of the two women and its various public statements show that it does not tolerate employees who hold biblically-based, traditional religious beliefs on issues of sexual morality, the lawsuit says.

Abortion was made legal across the US after a landmark legal ruling in 1973, often referred to as the Roe v Wade case. However, a leaked document claims that the Supreme Court - the nation's most senior legal body - is now in favour of overturning that right. Abortion could instantly become illegal in 22 states. A decision is expected in late June or early July. Currently many states have restrictions such as requiring young pregnant women to involve their parents or a judge in abortion decisions, or waiting periods between the time a woman first visits an abortion clinic and the actual procedure. Sometimes women have to travel across state borders for an abortion and pay more for them. According to the pro-choice movement, poor women are penalised most by these restrictions. There are nine judges on the Supreme Court; six were appointed by Republican (pro-life) presidents.

Joe Biden has declared New Mexico a disaster area. A wildfire has torched 250 square miles (647 square kilometres) over recent weeks. Firefighters slowed the advance of the largest wildfire in the USA as heavy winds relented on 4 May. Biden approved a disaster declaration that brings new financial resources to remote stretches of New Mexico devastated by fire since early April. Representative Teresa Fernandez announced this declaration during a briefing by the Forest Service about containing the sprawling wildfire in high alpine forest and grasslands at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains. Aeroplanes and helicopters are dropping fire retardant as ground crews clear timber and brush to starve the fire along crucial fronts such as the small New Mexico city of Las Vegas and other villages scattered along the fire’s shifting fronts.

In 2010, when T C Stallings landed a very small role as an extra in the film Secretariat, he knew he wanted to make acting his career. The 44-year-old Christian explained that he was always interested in acting but didn’t think he could do it. He said his priority is to use his work as a vehicle to share his faith. ‘I try to use all my gifts and talents for Him. Acting gives me an opportunity to reflect all the glory toward Him.’ Today Stallings is known for starring in faith-based films. ‘What makes it easy for me to share my faith is like, “What would God want me to do?” I care more about what He thinks than anybody else. I don’t control the outcomes; I let the Holy Spirit lead.’

Rabbi Jason Sobel came from a Jewish home in New Jersey, which has more Jews than Jerusalem. He attended Hebrew School and was fêted by family and friends at his Bar Mitzvah. At 18, he began his spiritual journey of discovery by studying with his rabbi, then he explored Eastern philosophy and other religions. One day he was meditating and something very unusual happened. ‘My soul began vibrating, it left my body and I had this encounter with this king on a throne in heaven. I felt the power of God pulsate through my body. I knew this king on the throne was Jesus, but I knew nothing about him!’ No one had ever shared the gospel with Sobel. ‘I thought Jesus was a nice Jewish boy who converted to Roman Catholicism. I had this encounter and was overwhelmed. I knew Jesus was real.’

Hillsong Phoenix lead pastor Terry Crist has resigned from the Hillsong church and taken his congregation with him. Nine US-based Hillsong churches have left the global organisation in two weeks as the movement shrinks dramatically. The church’s high-profile scandals include the resignation of Australian founder Brian Houston after he breached a code of conduct with two women. The pastor of Hillsong Atlanta left immediately after to launch a new church at Easter. Pastor Crist lost confidence in the global board to continue to lead them as a congregation and had asked to be allowed a local governing board while still operating under the Hillsong banner. The board refused. Pray for the Hillsong families as they process the pain of separation from their community. Pray for healing and change where change is needed.

An extraordinary NATO summit has addressed the most serious security crisis in a generation. NATO's core task was to address the need for a reset of deterrence and the defence of Ukraine in the longer term. Four new battlegroups have been established in the eastern part of the Alliance. There is a new sense of urgency as many countries invest more money in Ukraine and supply essential air, sea and land equipment to defend it and deter attack. President Zelensky, addressing the leaders, asked people everywhere to take to the streets in a show of support for Ukraine to mark one month of the Russian invasion. The UK sanctioned 65 more Russian individuals including the Wagner Group of mercenaries, described as ‘Putin’s private army’. When the NATO meeting ended leaders left for a G7 meeting where sanctions were discussed. See also