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The Daily Brief:
An Online News Source for Intercessors
"Decreeing the Word of God Over the News of the Day"
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United We Stand Thursday, Aug 20, 2026
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Introducing: PrayTheVote
Please find attached the link for PraytheVote:
-- an excellent resource to track elections in each state through November.
We trust that you will be richly blessed as you look over PraytheVote and consider incorporating this resource into your own daily time before our Lord.
As a reminder, we will continue to post this link on every edition of the Daily Brief through Election Day: Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026.
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Join our Bible Readathon, every night except Sunday morning, from midnight to 6:00 a.m. Call 508-924-5411 (no access code). Our moderator will welcome you and invite you to share in our reading. Go here to learn more. Thank you.
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> > > Please go here to pray through today's 24/7 International Strategic Prayer Guide. You may also call in at any time to read these prayers with others by calling:
712-770-4340 Code: 543555 #.
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>>> Be sure to read today's thoughts on repentance by Pastor Jeff Daly | National Day of Repentance. Go Here.
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Please make checks payable to:
CHPP, and send them to:
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
The Daily Brief
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Start your day with us in WORSHIP to our King! Today's selection is "Great is Thy Faithfulness" by Chris Rice. Go here!
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Marco Rubio: Liberty doesn't mean 'liberation from man’s duty to family, nation and God'
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Liberty was never meant to be “liberation from man’s duty to family, nation and God,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, pointing to the Church as one of the institutions that's held the nation together for 250 years.
In a video posted on X Friday, Rubio marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence's signing with a message about what he sees as the true meaning of freedom. The video is packed with imagery: Mount Rushmore, a cross, footage from the end of World War II, the moon landing, former President Ronald Reagan and evangelist Billy Graham. "Great nations are born of great people," Rubio says in the video. "They cannot survive long without them."
Rubio pointed to "duty, sacrifice, service to a cause beyond oneself, and belief in something larger and more important than the individual" as "the causes that impelled a group of extraordinary men to declare their independence to the world 250 years ago. The men who signed our Declaration of Independence understood that liberty meant something much more than being able to do whatever one wants," the secretary of state added.
“It was not the mere absence of limits. It was not liberation from man’s duty to family, to nation, to God,” he added. “They understood that order and virtue are the indispensable foundation of a free people and that human virtue has to be cultivated by human institutions like the family, the church, just and moral laws, and the habits and practices of self-government.” Rubio named the aforementioned institutions and principles as reflective of "the true American tradition of freedom passed down to us across the generations, stewarded and defended by men and women for 250 years" and "the foundation of American greatness." (Christian Post) Read More Here |
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Abba, we are grateful for Marco Rubio and men of God who speak truth across our beautiful nation. In the Name of Jesus, we invite Your mighty Hand to dismantle the spreading 'spirit of confusion' we are witnessing, regarding our nation's beginnings, causing deep deception and veiling over the minds and hearts of many citizens! We ask for a REBIRTH of prayer, repentance and love for country to fall upon the United States of America! AWAKEN the church to live according to biblical teachings and to rise-up into places of authority and governmental positions within their communities. We repent on behalf of the church, for losing it's way in society through tolerance and complacency. We ask for a powerful move of Your Holy Spirit across our nation to bring realignment and rededication of the United States of America back to Almighty God! By the Blood of the Lamb, we pray. Amen.
"Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples." (Psalm 96:3)
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No Peace Talks Taking Place With Iran, Trump Says
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President Donald Trump said on Aug. 18 that the United States was not holding negotiations with Iran and that the U.S. military continued to enforce its naval blockade against the regime.
“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote in a Tuesday statement on Truth Social. “The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated.”
The president’s statement came after the 60-day negotiating window established under the memorandum of understanding that was signed by the United States and Iran on June 17. The two countries had agreed to reach a final peace deal within 60 days. However, the memorandum of understanding allowed for an extension of the 60-day deadline if both countries mutually agreed to it.
Asked about the expiration of the memorandum of understanding and the state of negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program on Aug. 17, Trump told reporters, “Well, they want to make a deal, but they’re not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary.”
Trump added that the United States took action against Iran for one reason: because Tehran could not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.
Trump also told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday that he was not seeking an extension of the memorandum of understanding with Iran. (The Epoch Times) Read more here.
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Abba, thank You that You already know how this war with Iran will end, and that You are speaking to Your son, Donald, on how he is to make decisions. We decree and declare that we trust Your spirit that is within him, that his decisions will be clear and concise, that they will be based in righteousness and conformed to Your plans and purposes in the earth. Holy Spirit, we ask You to speak into the hearts of those from whom President Trump is seeking counsel, that Your words will be filled with wisdom and understanding that is supernatural, but words that are NOT Yours will be revealed to Your son as foolishness. We decree and declare that every plan and purpose of the enemy that does not align with Yours will fail and be turned against them. We ask this in the name El Gibhor, the God who will accomplish the destruction of His enemies and rule with a rod of iron.
"Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall."
(Proverbs 16:18)
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Rubio Announces Sanctions Against International Criminal Court President Trump Says
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday announced sanctions against the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and another official amid the Trump administration’s campaign to dismantle the international body.
Sanctions were imposed on ICC President Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, a Senegalese national who was investigating alleged war crimes carried out by Israel, said Rubio in a statement.
“These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction,” his statement said.
The ICC, he added, has attempted to “assert authority over” over U.S. citizens and nationals of other nations that have not consented to the Rome Statute that set up the court. The United States is not a party to the ICC.
The ICC did not immediately respond to an Epoch Times request for comment.
“Our whole of government campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the ICC to national sovereignty will be sweeping and we expect more countries to join our campaign by ending their funding and participation in this politicized and unaccountable court,” Rubio said, suggesting that “additional measures” may be taken against the Hague, Netherlands-based body. (The Epoch Times) Read more here.
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Abba, we give You praise and thanks that this Administration believes in the autonomy of the USA from demonic groups like the International Criminal Court. We ask Holy Spirit to release warrior angels to fight this battle of demonic interference that is visible in the earth today, guide and direct Your intercessors to tear down the demonic strongholds of control and oppression in the Middle East and across the world. We ask You to pour the fear of the Lord into all hearts within the ICC and everywhere who deny You and Your power, bring them face to face with You, give them vision to see how their life ends. Turn hearts that are not hardened to You, reveal Your love for each of them, draw them into Your Kingdom. We ask this in the name Yahweh Rohi, the Lord our Shepherd.
"For the Lamb at the center of the throne will
be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to
springs of living water.' 'And God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes.'"
(Revelation 7:17)
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Kushner, Netanyahu Agree Hamas Must Disarm Before Gaza Reconstruction, Israeli Pullout
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U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed on Aug. 17 that the Hamas terrorist group must disarm before the Gaza Strip is rebuilt or Israeli forces withdraw from the territory, according to Israeli officials and Kushner’s account of the talks.
The nearly four-hour meeting in Jerusalem focused on bridging differences between Israel and the Trump administration over a 15-point road map intended to advance U.S. President Donald Trump’s broader peace plan for Gaza.
Senior Israeli officials told Epoch Magazine Israel that Netanyahu and Kushner agreed that U.S. Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, commander of the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, would oversee Hamas’s disarmament.
The officials said the two sides also agreed that Israeli troops would not withdraw until Gaza had been fully demilitarized. Netanyahu rejected a separate request from Kushner that Israel halt targeted killings in the territory, they said.
Kushner offered a similar account in an interview with Fox News, saying the two sides had resolved several concerns and misunderstandings over how the road map would be implemented.
“We have a plan to rebuild Gaza, but we will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until the demilitarization occurs,” Kushner said.
“Once we get [Hamas] into full compliance and we’re able to get the demilitarization done, then we’ll discuss the Israeli withdrawal.”
Kushner said the ultimate objective remained a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, but only after Hamas had been “really demilitarized” and a governing structure capable of maintaining security was in place.
“We don’t want Gaza to ever be a threat to Israel again,” he said. (The Epoch Times)
Read more here.
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Abba, You know exactly what needs to be done in Gaza before Israel can pull out completely. You know all of Hamas' secrets and where deception has been spoken as truth, we ask You to bring all that is unseen and all that isn't what it appears to be out into the light that Israel can see and respond as needed. We ask for Your blessings on Your people, we ask You to bring into being the level of security on all borders that will allow them to live in true peace that You promised them all those years ago and we are grateful that You haven't forgotten. We ask all of this in the name El Shaddai, God Almighty, the God who has ultimate power over all things.
"To God belong wisdom and power;
counsel and understanding are his."
(Job 12:13)
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Blue state mayor arrested for fraud sparks uproar for not speaking English in viral clip: 'How is this real'
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DePeña's lawyer told reporters 'he doesn't speak English' when pressed on fraud charges
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The mayor of a northern Massachusetts town went viral on social media in recent days after his lawyer told reporters the mayor doesn’t speak English when they pressed him about being arrested for COVID-19 pandemic relief fraud.
Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña, 61, was arrested Friday morning after an investigation into his alleged misuse of more than $1.5 million of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), a program administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the CARES Act to assist struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"He doesn’t speak English. No comment," DePeña's lawyer said in the clip as DePeña repeatedly smiles and says, "God bless you," to the reporters.
The clip of the exchange quickly spread on social media, prompting criticism from users wondering aloud why the mayor wouldn’t be able to answer questions in English.
"OMG," conservative influencer account LibsofTikTok wrote on X in a post viewed over 1 million times. "How is this real."
"‘He doesn’t speak English, no comment’ says the assistant of the mayor of an American city," conservative radio host Mike Gallagher posted on X. "Our melting pot has completely melted." (Fox News) Read more here.
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Abba, this article is astonishing, but not in a good way! We give You thanks that none of this is news to You, and You already have all the answers to the myriad of questions that these circumstances create. It's hard to know how to pray. Somehow our society no longer has knowledge of who we are as a nation and what it means to be an American. Father God, help! The enemy has been allowed to obliterate our personhood as a country, we no longer see ourselves as "set apart", we are just the culmination of boundaryless decisions made by those who have shown themselves to be anti-American. Jesus, we ask Your forgiveness for not maintaining Your vision for us, for not speaking out and taking a stand when our ethics and boundaries were being breached and destroyed, for letting the enemy have a voice. We ask You to have mercy on us as a nation, give us the vision to better follow President Trump's lead as he works to restore what the enemy has stolen. Give us wisdom and understanding to pray for Your hand of restoration to be accomplished, for Your son, Donald, to not lose heart. Send Your angels to fight and win this battle for the heart of the US, let Your voice be heard across this land as we lock arm in arm as Your Ekklesia, the remnant that is always enough. We ask this in the name Yahweh Nissi, The Lord Our Banner. Banner is understood to be a rallying place to commemorate Israel's victory against the Amalekites.
"For the Lord your God is the one who
goes with you to fight for you
against your enemies to give you victory."
(Deuteronomy 20:4)
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1. WATCH: Netanyahu says that IDF 'made sure' Syria 'understood' that Turkey unwelcome in region - Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the IDF struck a Syrian military base after Jerusalem had given Damascus several warnings about Turkey's military presence in the country.
In his first comments since Israel struck Syriaon Tuesday, Netanyahu wrote in a Wednesday post on X/Twitter that Israel "made the message clear: Don’t."
“We will not tolerate a Turkish military entrenchment in Syria that threatens Israel," he said. “Apparently, they didn’t hear it clearly enough, so we made sure they understood it better.” (Read more)
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2. 'The more Israel threatens Syria, the more Syria will align itself with Turkey,' source tells i24NEWS - i24 News
A Syrian source close to the regime told i24NEWS that Israel's strikes on Abu al-Duhur military airbase on Tuesday would only increase Turkey's involvement in Syria.
"We do not want any foreign forces on our land, but Israel must understand that the more it threatens Syria, the more the Syrian government will align itself with Turkey. The Israeli government is getting the opposite result of what it hopes to achieve," the Syrian source said.
Israel admitted to launching the strikes on Syria claiming that Syria was on the verge of violating the agreed security status quo between the two countries.
"If Israel genuinely wants security and stability in southern Syria, it should stop its aggression against Syrian territory, as this would inevitably push Damascus to seek greater military cooperation with Ankara in order to guarantee its own security," the source said. (Read more)
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3. Report: Mossad Chief spoke with Syrian FM days before Israeli airstrikes
- Israel National News
Mossad chief Roman Gofman held a phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani last week in which the two discussed Turkey's military presence in Syria, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the matter.
The call took place on August 14, according to the sources, days before Israel carried out airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in the eastern Idlib countryside.
The reported conversation marks one of the highest-level contacts between Israel and Syria's new government since the fall of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. (Read more)
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4. Lapid: Israel's foreign relations 'disaster,' must be considered integral part of national security - Jerusalem Post
Opposition leader Yair Lapid presented a six-point plan for rebuilding Israel's foreign relations at the B'Yachad National Security Conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, warning that the country's international standing had entered a "disaster zone" and that foreign policy must be treated as an integral part of national security.
Lapid said Israel's diplomatic relationships could bolster its access to advanced weapons, intelligence cooperation, technology, energy, scientific partnerships and global markets.
He rejected the argument that the October 7 massacre alone explained Israel's diplomatic decline, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of worsening the crisis through “negligence, arrogance, and amateurism." (Read more)
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5. At least 10 said killed in Gaza airstrikes that Israel says targeted Hamas commanders - Times of Israel
Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday killed at least 10 people and wounded 15, according to Palestinian media, with the IDF saying the airstrikes targeted Hamas operatives.
The first strike, in central Gaza’s Nuseirat, targeted a Hamas company commander who invaded Israel on October 7, according to the military. Palestinian media reported that one person riding a motorcycle was killed in that strike.
Less than half an hour later, the military struck a police station in Gaza City, killing nine people — including a 13-year-old girl — and wounding 15, according to Palestinian media. (Read more)
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1. Ron DeSantis threatens his own official with the death penalty over heinous child sex charge - DML News
Palm Beach County Clerk of Court Mike Caruso, one of Ron DeSantis’s closest political allies, has been arrested on charges related to the alleged molestation of a child relative.
Caruso, 67, was charged with five felony counts, including kidnapping, child molestation, lewd exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Caruso could face additional charges as the criminal investigation remains ongoing.
Court documents detail multiple incidents in which the alleged victim told Orange County law enforcement that Caruso allegedly molested him during family gatherings after separating him from other relatives. During one alleged incident in August 2025, Caruso took the child away from other family members aboard a seven-day Royal Caribbean cruise, claiming he was going to get him ice cream. The ship was in international waters at the time. (Read more) |
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Lord, we pray that an investigation would find out the truth, and that justice would be done in this situation. We lift up Ron DeSantis to you, Lord, and we pray for wisdom, strength, and guidance when choosing friends and political allies, that he makes wise decisions, in Jesus' name, amen.
"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; faithful love and truth go before You" (Psalm 89:14).
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2. Johnson Amendment Fight Isn’t Over Yet - Million Voices
Pastors across the country have spent months believing they’d finally won the right to speak freely about candidates from the pulpit. Headlines last summer declared the Johnson Amendment dead for churches. That celebration turned out to be premature, and the real story is more complicated, and honestly more interesting, than a single headline could capture.
For nearly seventy years, the Johnson Amendment has hung over America’s houses of worship like a warning label, a tax code provision that threatens to strip a church of its tax-exempt status the moment a pastor endorses a candidate by name. Most congregations have simply learned to work around it, treating certain topics as off-limits from the pulpit even when scripture and conscience clearly speak to the moment. This year’s legal fight is the most serious challenge that arrangement has faced in decades, and it is far from over. (Read more) |
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Lord, we lift up the pastors and legal advocates fighting for the freedom of the pulpit. Grant the appellate judges wisdom and grant Treasury officials integrity as they draft new guidance. May every pastor preach with courage, trusting You over the fear of government scrutiny.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
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3. Green Bay’s Election Chief Resigns After Ballot Mess - Million Voices
Green Bay City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys resigned on August 7, just days before Wisconsin’s August 11 primary. Her departure came after her office sent duplicate absentee ballots to voters in two elections in a row.
The city and Jeffreys announced the resignation together in a brief joint statement. The city said it would offer no further comment on the matter.
Jeffreys had been on administrative leave since July 9, when the Wisconsin Elections Commission voted unanimously to investigate her office. That investigation focused on how duplicate ballot labels ended up in absentee ballot packets sent to voters ahead of the April election and this month’s primary.
The problem first surfaced during the April election, when Jeffreys’ office mailed more than one absentee ballot to the same voter in at least 152 instances. The Republican Party of Wisconsin and Brown County GOP board member Theresa Sipes filed a formal complaint over the incident.
Sipes’ complaint argued the duplicates created a real risk of double voting and voter confusion. The City of Green Bay initially defended Jeffreys, arguing state law only bars deliberate fraud, not accidental duplication. (Read more) |
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Father, we ask for integrity and competence in every election office across this nation. Raise up clerks and officials who take responsibility for their errors rather than minimizing them, and restore public confidence in the machinery that undergirds our elections.
“Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them.” (Proverbs 4:5)
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4. GRACE Act Takes Aim at Anti-Faith School Policies - Million Voices
Sen. Mike Lee introduced legislation last month that would cut off federal funding to any school that refuses to honor a family’s religious objection to vaccines. The bill, called the Guaranteeing Religious Accommodation in Childhood Education Act, already has a companion bill in the House and more than 50 endorsing organizations behind it.
Lee did not soften his message when announcing the bill. He said schools are discriminating against religious families over vaccine exemptions. “Keeping a kindergartner out of class over a vaccine is cruel,” Lee said in his announcement.
The bill is straightforward. Any elementary or secondary school, or any state or local education agency, that refuses to allow a religious exemption to vaccine mandates would lose access to federal education funding. (Read more) |
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Lord, we pray for the families in these four states who are forced to choose between their child's education and their convictions. Give lawmakers wisdom as this bill moves through committees, and remind every parent that You, not the state, hold the final word over how their children are raised.
“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.” (Acts 4:29)
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5. WNBA Star’s Stand Forces League to Face Trans Debate - Million Voices
Sophie Cunningham did not set out to start a national conversation. But that is exactly what happened after the Indiana Fever guard said what a lot of Americans have been thinking for years.
Now the WNBA cannot avoid the topic any longer. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has confirmed that league leadership will formally take up the question of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
Cunningham’s comments came in a wide-ranging ESPN profile. Asked about the debate over fairness in women’s sports, she did not dodge the question. “I want to protect young girls in a locker room,” Cunningham told ESPN, adding that girls “shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” (Read more) |
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Lord, we ask for courage for every athlete who speaks the truth about fairness in women's sports, even at personal cost. Guide the WNBA's leadership toward wisdom, and protect young women who simply want a fair and safe place to compete.
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
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6. Trump admin moves to cut illegal immigrants off from four big tax credits - DML News
The Trump administration is cutting illegal immigrants off from getting kickbacks from four major refundable tax credit programs – in a move that could save taxpayers an estimated $3 billion.
The Treasury Department and IRS unveiled new rules on Wednesday to tighten the requirements for the adoption, child, American opportunity, and earned income tax credits so that only US citizens, US nationals, and qualified aliens can get them.
Those four tax credits are refundable, which means people with a larger credit than the taxes they owe get a refund from Uncle Sam.
The administration’s new rule specifically targets the refunded portion of those tax credits. They would still be allowed to use the credits to offset their federal income tax liability. (Read more) |
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We thank you Lord for this righteous and just move from our president. We thank you Lord for policies that promote America first and help the American citizens succeed as well. We pray Lord that President Trump does not lose sight of this and continues to work for the American public and do what’s best for our country, our children, and taxpaying citizens in Jesus' name amen.
“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8)
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Stupidocrisy: Government Subsidizing Socialism
The Daily Jot, Bill Wilson, August 19, 2026
The Democratic Socialists of America says it rejects an economic order based on private profit and seeks “popular control of resources and production” and economic planning. Its affiliated DSA Fund identifies itself as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to political education and says it invests in projects helping “build a democratic socialist future.” Here is the rub: Americans certainly possess the constitutional freedom to advocate various causes. Yet tax exemption is something different. It is a privilege created by government, supported indirectly by taxpayers. Why should government grant special financial treatment to organizations working to replace the economic structure upon which that government rests?
Federal tax law explains how this happens. A 501(c)(3) can educate about public policy and conduct some lobbying, provided lobbying does not become a substantial part of its activity. It cannot participate in political campaigns for or against candidates. A 501(c)(4), however, enjoys far greater latitude. The IRS says such organizations may lobby as their primary activity and may participate in some political activity provided it is not their primary activity. This creates considerable operating room for ideological organizations. DSA openly describes itself as a political and activist organization working to make democratic socialism a reality in America, while its separate DSA Fund conducts tax-deductible socialist political education. Legally separated perhaps, but philosophically traveling toward the same destination. Read More
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Brussels Says All Migrants Still Illegally in Ceuta Must Be Returned to Morocco, Minors Included
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The European Commission said on Aug. 18 that it expects all migrants still living illegally in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta to be returned to Morocco, and that European Union law allows unaccompanied minors to be sent back as well.
“The priority is now for the Spanish and for the Moroccan authorities to maintain control of the situation and to ensure the swift return of all those who illegally remain in Ceuta,” Markus Lammert, the Commission’s home affairs spokesman, told reporters in Brussels.
Asked whether “all” also covered children who crossed without their families, Lammert said the matter was governed by EU legislation. He cited the return directive and the EU return regulation that will replace it, saying both provide for the removal of people staying illegally, “including unaccompanied minors.”
“We continue to stress that the expectation is that all those who remain in Ceuta illegally will be returned,” he said.
Thousands Still in the City
Several thousand people are still in Ceuta illegally, he said, among them a significant number of unaccompanied minors, though the exact figure is unclear.
The Spanish Interior Ministry said the National Police had located and registered 2,168 minors between July 30 and the morning of Aug. 18, a total it described as close to final. All have been placed under the guardianship of the autonomous city.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska put the number of migrants still in the city at about 5,000 on Aug. 13, well below the roughly 10,000 estimated by the Ceuta government.
He said that no one who entered irregularly would be allowed to remain, travel to the mainland, or obtain papers. (The Epoch Times) Read more here.
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Lord God,
We pray for all illegal migrants still in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta to be returned immediately! Lord as the migrant organizations have gotten involved, over 2,000 illegal unaccompanied children wait to be returned as Spain's Supreme Court decides about the legality of Spain's immigration laws, although EU laws provide they they may be sent back. We pray, Father for protection for these children as the courts take each case and their family circumstances into consideration.
Lord, it appears that illegal immigration is rampant everywhere and we pray that You would give discernment and wisdom to all nations as they combat this serious problem of immigrants trying to take over their countries. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen and amen.
"Obey the governing authorities, because God has established them. whoever rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted." (Romans 13:1-2)
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State Dept. Announces Nearly $2 Billion in Grants to Faith-Based Charities
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The U.S. State Department announced this month that it has approved nearly $2 billion in partnerships with faith-based organizations, which it calls “the largest allocation of global health foreign assistance to faith-based organizations in over 20 years.” The announcement indicates a promising uptick in engagement with faith-based organizations. But, as with any foreign aid spending, the benefits will only be reaped through effective and committed oversight.
The State Department grants fell into three main pots. The largest is an $850 million Faith and Community Initiative (FCI) Award, over five years, to a faith-based consortium led by World Vision, which supports over 2,500 faith-based hospitals, clinics, and “community hubs” and trains, pays, and equips 30,000 health workers. That award is part of $1.4 billion made available through the America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS) for “faith and community-based hospitals and clinics in more than 20 countries,” according to the State Department press release.
The second pot is $570 million to “faith-based and community hospitals and clinics” through Memorandums of Understanding with foreign governments. In many of these, faith-based healthcare providers represent up to 40% of all providers.
The third pot includes $538 million in humanitarian response funding to Samaritan’s Purse and a consortium led by World Vision and Compassion International. Over $100 million would be available immediately.
Samaritan’s Purse president and CEO Franklin Graham said the funds would support field hospitals in Venezuela and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as a supply airlift to Colombia following a recent earthquake there.
In addition to these funding streams, World Vision announced that it separately received $238 million from the State Department’s Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response to provide basic human necessities (food, water, shelter) in 30 countries. (Washington
Stand) Read more here.
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Lord God,
We rejoice that the US State Department has approved nearly $2 billion in expanded partnerships with faith based organizations. Father, we thank You that last year the Middle East Forum revealed that the $164 million in US foreign aid made its way to terrorist fundraisers, mostly through subcontractors of faith based organizations. As President Trump's State Department denies money to those organizations that have been sending money into terrorist organizations, we continue to pray for accountability from every partner that receives money from our government.
We pray, Lord, that all faith based organizations will vet their subcontractors and that U.S. funds will not go to terror organizations in the disguise of Islamic charities. Father, You see everything that goes on behind closed doors and we pray for Your divine wisdom and insight for our State Department and our faith based organizations as they work to bring comfort to our world. We humbly offer this prayer. In Jesus name. Amen.
"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are a light in the Lord. Walk as children of light and try and discern what is pleasing to the Lord." (Eph.5:6-10)
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Bay Area Parents Sue School District for Mosque Field Trip
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A coalition of parents in northern California has sued the Palo Alto Unified School District for a high school field trip to a mosque in the fall of 2025. “Students allegedly were encouraged to wear Islamic religious attire, were given Qurans, observed prayer, engaged with participants in a Quran-memorization program, and were exposed to messaging that portrayed Islam as uniquely aligned with social justice work,” the August 7 complaint declares. Strikingly, not a single family involved in the lawsuit is Christian.
The field trip took place as part of Palo Alto High School’s “Social Justice Pathway,” a three-year course track for sophomores through seniors. The program just happens to share its initials (SJP) with Students for Justice in Palestine, a college organization expelled from some campuses for its extreme pro-Hamas demonstrations in 2024. The SJP program “has periodically and repeatedly organized field trips to a mosque at the Muslim Community Association — Bay Area [in nearby Santa Clara], the only house of worship included in the program,” according to the complaint.
Central to the complaint is the challenge to “a public-school district’s sponsorship and facilitation of religious activity and elevation of Islam vis-à-vis other faiths.” Among other offenses, “Female students were provided hijabs to wear,” and “all students were gifted Qurans to take home for personal use.”
Additionally, “students allegedly were exposed to Zahra Billoo, who is a controversial speaker known for publicly documented hostile and discriminatory statements regarding Jews and sharply ideological political views,” the complaint continued. “Plaintiffs allege that Ms. Billoo was allowed unfettered access to students to advocate personal religious and political views without balancing perspective or adequate supervision.”
To make matters worse, “students were photographed in religious attire inside the mosque,” and those “identifiable images of students were later publicly disseminated … for promotional and/or community-facing purposes.”
In all of this, “parents were not provided meaningful, fully informed consent authorizing their children’s participation in religiously inflected activity, photography inside a religious institution, or the public dissemination of their children’s images in that context,” the complaint continued, “nor were they given a meaningful opt-out.” (The Washihgton Stand) Read more here.
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Lord of Angel Armies,
Our hearts burn with holy anger for the students of the Palo Alto Unified School District and their parents in northern California as we read this article.
We pray, Father, that the parents of these students who have brought a lawsuit against the school for taking their children to a mosque on a field trip would win this lawsuit because they were not provided fully informed consent authorizing their children's participation in a program that would portray Islam as aligned with social justice work.
Lord, we ask that You would refresh and renew these students' minds as they recover from this participation in messaging that exposed them to a controversial speaker who is known for his discriminatory statements regarding Jews and allegedly encouraging them to wear Islamic religious attire including hijabs, photographing them, given Qurans, observed prayer, and engaged in a Quran-memorization program.
Lord, turn You angels loose on those who seek to indoctrinate our children to Islam or any other false god that tries to set itself up against,You, our one true God! Father, we pray that You would raise up a banner against all who seek to turn our nation to favor Islam. In the Mighty name of Jesus Christ, our soon coming King, we pray. Amen and Amen.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12)
"Thou shalt have no other God's before me." (Exodus 20:3)
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And Now . . . Lion of Judah: ROAR!!!!
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"The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man;
He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war.
He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud;
He shall prevail against His enemies."
(Isaiah 42:13)
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Ancient shipwreck gives up dazzling treasures after more than 1,300 years underwater
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Stunning find of gold jewelry and coins includes elaborate piece studded with pearls and green gemstone
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Archaeologists examining an ancient shipwreck recently revealed a trove of gold — and evidence that a wealthy and powerful passenger and his entourage may have been aboard.
The findings were formally presented by the Croatian Conservation Institute this summer after years of underwater excavation, Reuters reported.
The ship dates to the late seventh or early eighth century A.D., and was discovered on the seabed near the Croatian island of Mljet more than a decade ago.
Systematic underwater excavations of the site have been underway since 2015.
Pictures released by officials show a dazzling collection of jewelry — including an elaborate piece studded with pearls and a green gemstone.
The buckles, decorated with rubies, emeralds and pearls, along with a golden signet ring, suggested the ship was carrying someone of considerable status.
The ring, in particular, "certainly wouldn't be worn by just anyone," Pavle Dugonjic, head of the Department of Underwater Archaeology at the Croatian Conservation Institute, told Reuters. (Fox News) Read More
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"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus." (Hebrews 3:1)
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"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name."
- Provided By: Billy Graham
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