tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78006172795788562182024-03-12T23:08:13.107-04:00Advent MessengerProclaiming the Prophetic Events and the Nearness of the Advent HopeAdvent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comBlogger1264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-43365961062631836582017-01-15T01:09:00.002-05:002017-01-15T01:09:19.211-05:00North Carolina ‘Pastor’ Charged in Connection With Nine Armed Robberies<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />A “pastor” in North Carolina has been arrested and charged in connection with nine armed robberies in the Charlotte area. John Thomas Lindsey, 47, who leads True Love Church of Refuge, was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with nine counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, nine counts of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>He is accused of robbing four Circle K stores, two Sam’s Mart locations, two 7-Eleven stores and a Family Dollar outlet. WSOC-TV reports that the motive for the robberies was to obtain money to buy drugs.<br /><br />Lindsey has two prior drug convictions from the 1990’s.<br /><br />“We, the leadership and membership of True Love Church of Refuge, are deeply saddened and disappointed that our leader and brother, John Thomas Lindsey, is facing charges associated with criminal activity. Though we denounce any involvement he may have had, we love him and will continue to pray for him,” his congregation said in a statement this week.<br /><br />“The ministry will continue to stand strong despite the latest allegations and will continue to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom,” it said.<br /><br />Police were led to Lindsey after first arresting Fernando Carillo-Hernandez, 24, who was taken into custody on Tuesday for committing three of the robberies. Officials had released photographs from surveillance footage in asking for help in identifying the suspects. Carillo-Hernandez is not believed to be affiliated with True Love Church of Refuge.<br /><br /><a href="http://christiannews.net/2017/01/06/north-carolina-pastor-charged-in-connection-with-nine-armed-robberies/">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-49647368628260140592017-01-15T01:06:00.001-05:002017-01-15T01:06:07.896-05:00Couch potatoes at highest risk of dementia<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />Couch potatoes are just as likely to get dementia as those born with the Alzheimer's gene, a new study claims.This means that even without any genetic risk factors, over-65s who rarely exercise are among the most likely to develop the disease.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Currently 47.5 million people worldwide are living with dementia and that number is is set to increase to 115.4 million by 2050 due to the aging population.<br /><br />But experts warn the rising rate of physical inactivity could drive up that figure even more.<br /><br />With no known cure, scientists are now looking to develop new dementia prevention strategies that focus on increasing physical exercise in older adults.<br /><br />The recent study followed 1,600 Canadian adults over the course of five years.<br /><br />Researchers found that although carriers of a variant of the 'apolipoprotein E' genotype are more likely to develop dementia, inactivity dramatically increased the risk for non-carriers.<br /><br />For those who carried the gene, the odds of developing dementia were not significantly different between exercisers and non-exercisers.<br /><br />Co-author Jennifer Heisz, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University, said: 'The important message here is that being inactive may completely negate the protective effects of a healthy set of genes.<br /><br />'Given that most individuals are not at genetic risk, physical exercise may be an effective prevention strategy.'<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4106556/Couch-potatoes-highest-risk-dementia-Skipping-exercise-dangerous-carrying-Alzheimer-s-gene.html#ixzz4Vo8JQ2eP">Full Report</a> Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-18369386901399203962017-01-15T01:00:00.004-05:002017-01-15T01:00:45.137-05:00Roseville man gets $128 ticket for heating up car in own driveway<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />Did you know you could get fined for heating up your car? One man's parking ticket has gone viral, with thousands of views after he was ticketed for heating up his car in his own driveway.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Taylor Trupiano says he's still shaking his head over a parking ticket he got on his own property.<br /><br />"I thought it was some kind of joke at first, and then I was thrown back by it," he said. "I was really surprised."<br /><br />The ticket was for leaving the keys in the ignition with the motor running and no one around. Trupiano said he was only doing something many people in Michigan do during the winter.<br /><br />"I was in and out in probably about 7-8 minutes," he added. "So in that amount of time he ran up here, gave me a ticket and by the time I got out he was nowhere to be seen."<br /><br />Frustrated with the ticket, he posted a photo on Facebook where he racked up thousands of comments and shares.<br /><br />The Roseville Police Department ticket comes with a $128 fine. There is no state law against leaving your car turned on and unattended, but dozens of cities across Michigan have local ordinances.<br /><br />"We have five to ten cars stolen this way every winter," Roseville Police Chief James Berlin said. "It's dangerous, and of course it drives everyone's insurance rates up. It drives our crime rates up."<br /><br />Many of the ordinances will allow you to use a remote start because the vehicle is locked.<br /><br />Berlin tells 7 Action News they will not apologize and in fact, he encourages his officers to enforce this law.<br /><br />"It's common sense. We can't warn everybody of the law there is. Common sense says you don't leave your car running unattended," Berlin said.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wxyz.com/news/roseville-man-gets-128-ticket-for-heating-up-car-in-own-driveway">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-15010051088006401812017-01-15T00:56:00.002-05:002017-01-15T00:56:31.955-05:00Married lesbian couple to lead prominent D.C. Baptist church<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />Calvary Baptist Church, a progressive Baptist landmark in the heart of downtown Washington, has named a gay couple as co-pastors. Sally Sarratt and Maria Swearingen were presented to the congregation during worship services Jan. 8 and are set to begin their new jobs Feb. 26.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>A spokeswoman for the congregation said she didn’t know whether a gay couple leading a church was a first for Baptists.<br /><br />“We look for the best people in the world and that’s who they were,” said Carol Blythe. “We’re very excited.”<br /><br />The 155-year-old church severed ties with the Southern Baptist Convention in 2012: It was at loggerheads with the group on several issues, including the SBC’s stance against homosexuality. Calvary Baptist still affiliates with American Baptist Churches USA.<br /><br />American Baptist Churches USA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<br /><br />Sarratt and Swearingen come to Calvary from Greenville, S.C., where Sarratt has been serving as associate chaplain for behavioral health in the Greenville Health System and Swearingen as associate chaplain at Furman University, according to a news release from the church.<br /><br />“We have found it so easy to fall in love with Calvary and its long-standing commitment to be a voice of justice and compassion for those who perpetually find the wholeness of their humanity disregarded and maligned,” the couple said to the congregation Sunday, according to the church.<br /><br />Sarratt has also been filling the role of part-time associate minister at Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.<br /><br />The women met in the First Baptist Church of Greenville, and were both ordained there after it adopted and implemented a nondiscrimination policy in 2015.<br /><br />Sarratt, who holds an MBA from the University of Virginia, left the corporate world after she felt called to ministry and obtained her master’s in theological studies from Emory University.<br /><br />Swearingen, who is fluent in Spanish, earned a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School, where she won an award for her preaching.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/01/09/married-lesbian-couple-to-lead-prominent-d-c-baptist-church/?utm_term=.d60d9bb7956d">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-4384958211825359172017-01-15T00:51:00.002-05:002017-01-15T01:13:17.583-05:00Religious Leaders Bless Opening of New Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic, Call It “Sacred Work”<div style="text-align: center;">
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Blessing an abortion clinic may seem antithetical to religious beliefs about the sanctity of life. But various religious leaders came together to do just that on Tuesday at Planned Parenthood’s newest abortion facility in Washington, D.C.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>DCist reports religious leaders representing more than 20 groups participated in the ceremony inside the new mega-facility, which opened in September. The new abortion facility is located next to the Two Rivers Public Charter School, a sought-after elementary school in D.C, much to the outrage of pro-lifers and parents.<br />
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“In almost every message to our staff, I talk about our doing sacred work,” Dr. Laura Meyers, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, told the news outlet. “This confirms the sacredness of the work we do.”<br />
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Later, she said pro-lifers “tried to separate those of us working on or supporting the right of women to choose a from a sense of deep spirituality. So today is a shift in that narrative.”<br />
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Here’s more from the report:<br />
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Before the ceremony kicked off, religious leaders gathered upstairs for their own prayer circle, led by Rabbi Michael Namath. The program director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism called upon their obligation to the world to “make it whole and holy.”<br />
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Then the formal event began, featuring leaders from different Christian denominations, a rabbi, abortion providers, a Planned Parenthood patient, Hindu priests, an Imam over Skype, visual art, and a liturgical dance.<br />
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“I’ve been a Christian longer than I’ve been an abortion provider,” said Willie Parker, who is about as close as the reproductive choice movement gets to a rock star. “Women have been made to think that this [clinic] is some evil place, where God is not,” he continued, pointing out the people “cursing [women] for making sacred decisions. Our answer to the curse is to bless.”<br />
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Planned Parenthood medical director Serina Floyd said she plans to tell patients that the abortion facility is a “blessed space” and that “those of faith also support your decisions.”<br />
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The group ended by singing “This Little Light of Mine” together, according to the report.<br />
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The so-called “sacredness” and “blessing” that the abortion group offers is taking advantage of vulnerable women and killing their unborn babies. In the eyes of many religious leaders and groups, the destruction of innocent life is evil.<br />
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Judeo-Christian beliefs teach that human life is sacred from its beginning at conception until natural death, because all lives are created in the image of God. Based on Islamic teachings, Muslims also generally oppose abortion, and many Islamic nations prohibit abortions in all or most circumstances.<br />
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Since learning about the new D.C. mega-facility, pro-lifers in the city have been working in various ways to protect babies and moms from the abortion expansion. Prayer vigils and protests, sidewalk counseling efforts and increased access to life-affirming support all have been part of pro-lifers’ efforts to help unborn babies and moms in the city.<br />
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<a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2017/01/12/religious-leaders-bless-opening-of-new-planed-parenthood-abortion-clinic-call-it-sacred-work/">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-76932902378892555182017-01-08T00:31:00.000-05:002017-01-08T00:31:05.434-05:00Catholics in Congress are at an all-time high<div dir="ltr" style="max-width: 100%;">
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<br />A new poll shows that while the number of U.S. congressmen who identify as Catholic is at an all-time high, the majority of these are members of the pro-abortion Democratic Party.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>The Pew Research Center released a study Tuesday, January 3 — the same day the 115th Congress was sworn into office — revealing 31 percent of lawmakers claim to be Catholic. This is the highest concentration of Catholics on Capitol Hill since 1961, when such records were first available.<br /><br />Of the 144 congressmen who profess to be Catholic in the U.S. House of Representatives, 74 belong to the Democratic Party, while only 70 are members of the pro-life Republican Party. The same study showed that of the 24 senators who claim Catholic affiliation, 15 are Democrats and nine are Republicans.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/how-catholic-is-capitol-hill" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-70592592856429827992017-01-07T23:01:00.004-05:002017-01-07T23:03:52.268-05:00Photo Evidence Reveals Ft. Lauderdale Shooter Is A Muslim Terrorist<div style="text-align: center;">
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The dead giveaway in Ruiz’s photo below is not just the Kaffiyeh around his neck, even more particular, is him raising his index finger. The Muslim calls the index finger sabbabah, to proclaim there is no god but Allah, a single unique god. This is a sign that he believes that Allah is the unique absolute one (not the Trinity) who sent Muslims to destroy the concept of the Trinity which would be three fingers raised as Orthodox Christians do. This is the signal. If the Nazi has a Seig Heil the Islamist has the sabbabah (index finger) and he raises it on photo ops to declare his allegiance to Allah.</div>
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Obviously Ruiz drank the Muslim pill and was converted durning his service in the Middle East. His brother, Bryan Santiago told the Associated Press that “He was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, the 1013th engineer company out of Aguadilla, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen.”<br />
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As far as the “mental illness” is concerned, this rampage was carefully planned. He flew for Alaska to FLA via MPS-St Paul. The act was too cold and calculating for someone with mental issues. The attack compares to the summer 2016 attack on Ataturk Airport in Turkey and ISIS terrorist channels knew Esteban’s name before the news reported it. A U.S. senator gave Esteban’s name out live on MSNBC. It is unclear if ISIS channels spread his name before MSNBC.<br />
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If claimed by ISIS, the attack would be the second ISIS attack this year, with the first being the Reina Nightclub attack in Istanbul, Turkey. In that attack, a gunman shot and killed a policeman and a civilian around 1:45 a.m. on January 1 before entering the club and opening fire, reports the New York Post. 39 people were killed.<br />
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While Tennessee GOP states that Santiago-Ruiz “was posting on Jihadi forums when he was 17 years old in 2007”. Shoebat.com is unable to confirm this yet.<br />
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<a href="http://shoebat.com/2017/01/06/photo-evidence-reveals-ft-lauderdale-shooter-is-a-muslim-terrorist/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a></div>
Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-33297858891995335982017-01-07T22:46:00.002-05:002017-01-07T22:46:30.861-05:00You can now change your birth Certificate Sex Designation Without Surgery<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />Members of New York’s transgender community and advocates are praising the city council’s vote to pass legislation making it easier for residents to correct the sex designation on their birth certificates.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>The bill, which passed passed 39-4 with three abstentions, will allow transgender New Yorkers to change the birth certificate designation without proof they have had gender confirmation surgery, officials from the Empire State Pride Agenda confirmed to The Huffington Post in an email statement.<br /><br />City Council member Corey Johnson, who introduced the bill in October, tweeted a photo in praise of the news:<br /><br />Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Nathan M. Schaefer said in an email statement, “Today is a proud day for New York City as we celebrate the long-awaited passage of a bill that brings us one step closer to creating a safe and equal place for transgender New Yorkers.”<br /><br />Added Johnson, who is Chair of the Council’s Committee on Health: “Having such a critical document that correctly reflects your gender identity is a basic human right that too many transgender people have been denied for far too long. These measures will transform the lives of transgender individuals in so many ways that other people take for granted—from accessing government benefits and health coverage, to getting a job and using appropriate facilities.”<br /><br />The ruling follows an earlier statewide move in June, which granted transgender people born in New York state (which the exception of New York City) similar rights, Reuters reported.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/08/new-york-transgender-birt_n_6290590.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-79435181821351153602017-01-07T22:24:00.003-05:002017-01-07T22:24:54.028-05:00Seven-year-old girl turned into bomb <div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />A seven-year-old girl calmly walked into a Damascus police station before blowing herself up, Syrian media has reported. The explosion in the bustling Midan neighbourhood of the Syrian capital wounded three police officers, said the Al-Watan daily, which is close to the government.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>'A seven-year-old girl entered the police station, carrying a belt that was detonated from afar,' the paper posted on its Facebook page. <br /><br />A police source told Al-Watan that the little girl had appeared lost and asked to use the bathroom when the explosives went off.<br /><br />A clip filmed at the scene of the incident, in the centre of Damascus, shows parts of the building reduced to rubble in the blast.<br /><br />At one stage in the report, the camera shows the child's remains, which have been blurred out.<br /><br />The girl's explosive device was reportedly detonated by her handlers, who were outside the building at the time. <br /><br />Although rebel groups have fired rockets and mortar rounds into the capital, explosions inside the city itself are rare.<br /><br />Syrian state news agency SANA said earlier there were preliminary reports about a 'terrorist explosion at the Midan police station in Damascus', while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed there had been a blast in Midan but said it could not specify the cause.<br /><br />Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that 'one woman' was killed in the blast, but it remained unclear whether she was a suicide bomber or a bystander.<br /><br />The horror incident comes as children in besieged city of Aleppo were reportedly burned alive in violent clashes as President Bashar al-Assad’s forces closed in.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4043378/Girl-seven-walks-Syrian-police-station-blown-handlers-detonate-suicide-vest-remote-control.html#ixzz4V8Xd1fAk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a> <br />Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-83888355793427978852017-01-07T22:16:00.004-05:002017-01-07T22:16:43.139-05:00Supervised injection site for addicts<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />Addicts regularly use drugs on the streets of San Francisco, and some people there say giving addicts a safe, clean place to shoot up – and clean needles – could help curb overdose deaths and diseases. But critics object to enabling addicts to shoot illegal drugs in a supervised injection facility in San Francisco – or anywhere in the U.S.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>A new cost-benefit analysis in the Journal of Drug Issues makes the financial case for a supervised injection site. A 13-booth facility in San Francisco could save $3.5 million a year, mostly in reduced medical costs, the report calculates.<br /><br />The estimate assumes San Francisco would open a center exactly like Insite – North America’s first legal supervised drug-injection site built in Vancouver, Canada in 2003. Insite serves an estimated 1,700 people a month.<br /><br />An injection facility in San Francisco would save the life of one drug user who would otherwise die of an overdose every four years and would assist in getting 110 drug addicts medication-assisted treatment each year, the new study suggests.<br /><br />In addition, it would prevent an average of 19 cases of hepatitis C and three cases of HIV infection a year and would reduce hospital stays for skin and soft-tissue infections related to needle use by 415 days a year.<br /><br />“To me, it’s really a win-win for everyone,” senior author Alex Kral said in a phone interview. “It’s a win for the community to get people off the streets, and it’s a win for the people injecting drugs to be sure they can be as safe as possible.”<br /><br />An epidemiologist, Kral directs the behavioral and urban health program at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute in San Francisco.<br /><br />Propelled by prescription painkiller and heroin abuse, U.S. deaths from drug overdoses hit a record 47,055 in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study authors estimate the U.S. spends more than $6 billion a year covering the medical expenses of people who inject drugs.<br /><br />“This is one way to reduce what is one of the biggest sources of mortality in the country,” Kral said.<br /><br />“We’ve tried a lot of things in the last 50 years, and none of them have succeeded,” he said. “So why not try an innovative, evidence-based solution that’s working in upwards of a dozen countries?”<br /><br />Since the first supervised injection facility opened in the Swiss city of Berne in 1986, nearly 100 similar facilities have opened in 66 cities across 11 countries. U.S. cities from Seattle to New York have considered installing drug-injection sites, but none have been able to clear the hurdles.<br /><br />Kral and his team assumed it would cost $2 million to buy and renovate a site for a supervised injection facility in San Francisco and $2.6 million a year to operate it. For every dollar spent, $2.33 would be saved as a result of averted overdose deaths, reduced disease transmission and increased drug treatment, the researchers found.<br /><br />They expect the savings would be greater in other cities where the number of overdose deaths is higher and real estate and operating costs might be lower. San Francisco already slashed heroin overdose deaths from 120 to 13 a year between 2000 and 2012 largely because of widespread distribution of naloxone, a drug that can prevent overdoses by blocking the effects of opioids.<br /><br />A supervised injection facility would likely bring more financial and life-saving benefits to a city like Baltimore, which has a higher percentage of needle users dying of heroin overdoses, the authors write.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/supervised-injection-addicts-could-save-san-francisco-money-182919470.html">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-30595988617304229262017-01-07T22:10:00.002-05:002017-01-07T22:10:44.297-05:00Maybelline Debuts Its First-Ever Male Ambassador<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />Back in October, Covergirl welcomed James Charles, makeup artist and social media star, as its first-ever male face. Now, Maybelline has followed suit by signing on another one of the wildly popular "beauty boys" of the vlogger world: Manny Gutierrez, aka @mannymua733. Gutierrez boasts three million followers on Instagram. He posts tutorials on Youtube, where two million people have subscribed to his channel (and given him 91 million views) since he started in July 2014.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>The makeup artist stars in Maybelline's "That Boss Life" campaign promoting Big Shot Mascara alongside fellow Insta-famous beauty blogger Shayla Mitchell (aka @makeupshayla) and sweepstakes winner Jackie Flowers.<br /><br />"Honestly I couldn't be more honored [or] thrilled!," Gutierrez said of the gig on Instagram, "Thank you to Maybelline for taking a chance on me!"<br /><br /><a href="http://www.elle.com/beauty/news/a41853/maybelline-manny-gutierrez-first-male-ambassador/">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-12776988140794006812016-12-31T00:08:00.000-05:002016-12-31T00:08:25.521-05:00Church depicts Mary and Joseph as Muslims in Nativity Scene<h2 style="margin: 10px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">
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A parish priest in the south of Italy enraged parishioners by dressing the Virgin Mary in a Muslim burqa for his church’s Christmas Nativity scene, adding a boatful of refugees and a rainbow flag in place of the star of Bethlehem. The pastor of the parish of Saints Joachim and Anne in Potenza, Father Franco Corbo, found himself face to face with an angry mob of demonstrators gathered outside his church on Wednesday to protest his provocative display.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Don Franco,” as the priest is known, said that he had the special crèche scene constructed “in the name of dialogue among religions” and that his message had been “misinterpreted.”<br /><br />Asked whether he didn’t consider his Nativity scene as sacrilegious, the 75-year-old priest said it was not, but rather a symbol that “religion can and should be an instrument of dialogue.”<br /><br />“Islam is synonymous with peace and brotherhood,” the priest said, adding that Islamic terrorism is “an aberration that has nothing to do with religion.”<br /><br />Along with Mary’s burqa, the priest represented Saint Joseph as a north African Muslim and dressed a number of the traditional shepherds in Muslim garb as well.<br /><br />The holy family arrayed in Islamic apparel is “a call for an open mind” as well as “a message of peace,” Don Franco said. As for those who dispute his decision, the priest said their objections come from “narrow-mindedness and a form of fundamentalism.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/12/29/parish-priest-dresses-virgin-mary-burqa-nativity-scene/amp/?" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a><br />Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-72631018863791254662016-12-30T22:49:00.002-05:002016-12-30T22:49:42.761-05:00Pope Francis declares evolution and Big Bang theory are real and God is not "a magician with a magic wand"<div style="max-width: 100%;">
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The theories of evolution and the Big Bang are real and God is not “a magician with a magic wand”, Pope Francis has declared.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Speaking at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Pope made comments which experts said put an end to the “pseudo theories” of creationism and intelligent design that some argue were encouraged by his predecessor, Benedict XVI.<br /><br />Francis explained that both scientific theories were not incompatible with the existence of a creator – arguing instead that they “require it”.<br /><br />“When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so,” Francis said.<br /><br />“The Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it.<br /><br />“Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.”<br /><br />The Catholic Church has long had a reputation for being anti-science – most famously when Galileo faced the inquisition and was forced to retract his “heretic” theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun.<br /><br />But Pope Francis’s comments were more in keeping with the progressive work of Pope Pius XII, who opened the door to the idea of evolution and actively welcomed the Big Bang theory. In 1996, John Paul II went further and suggested evolution was “more than a hypothesis” and “effectively proven fact”.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-declares-evolution-and-big-bang-theory-are-right-and-god-isnt-a-magician-with-a-magic-9822514.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-59408357299683679062016-12-30T22:40:00.000-05:002016-12-30T22:40:26.396-05:00Some 100,000 Christians killed per year over faith<div style="max-width: 100%;">
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A staggering 100,000 Christians are killed annually because of their faith, according to the Vatican and several human rights groups claim such anti-Christian violence is on the rise in countries like Pakistan, Nigeria and Egypt.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>"Credible research has reached the shocking conclusion that an estimate of more than 100,000 Christians are violently killed because of some relation to their faith every year," Vatican spokesman Monsieur Silvano Maria Tomassi said Tuesday in a radio address to the United Nations Human Rights Council. <br /><br />"Other Christians and other believers are subjected to forced displacement, to the destruction of their places of worship, to rape and to the abduction of their leaders, as it recently happened in the case of Bishops Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yaziji, in Aleppo [Syria]," Tomassi said.<br /><br />While several human rights groups could not comment specifically on the Vatican's number, organizations, like Persecution.Org, said the persecutions of Christians have been on the rise in places like Africa and the Middle East over the last decade.<br /><br />"Two-hundred million Christians currently live under persecution. It’s absolutely on the rise," Jeff King, the group's president, told FoxNews.com.<br /><br />"It’s easing in the old Communist world and it's rising in the Islamic world," King said, noting in particular countries like Egypt, Pakistan and Nigeria. King said that the first major killing spree in recent years happened between 1998 and 2003, when he claims 10,000 Christians were murdered in Indonesia alone during those years.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/06/02/vatican-spokesman-claims-100000-christians-killed-annually-because-faith.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a></div>
Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-49543834890158601882016-12-30T22:28:00.004-05:002016-12-30T22:28:45.110-05:00Malls across America break out in chaos and violence<div style="max-width: 100%;">
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Malls across America descended into chaos and violence on Monday as bargain-hungry shoppers engaged in mass brawls, fought in food courts and - in one instance - led to a SWAT team being deployed.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Fights were reported across the country, with instances at malls in Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Connecticut and New York. Many saw fights taking place in food courts, and incorrect reports of gunfire. Many involved teens or juveniles.<br /><br />One incident, at The Mills in Jersey Gardens, New Jersey, saw 48,000 people fleeing after a fight culminated in a loud bang and a person shouting 'shots fired' at around 5pm.<br /><br />Video shows corridors packed with panicking customers trying to escape the mall as heavily armed police in body armor arrive at the scene to sweep the area for suspects, <a href="http://pix11.com/2016/12/26/chaos-at-jersey-gardens-mall-as-police-respond-to-report-of-shooting/">Pix11</a> reported.<br /><br />Law enforcement is suggesting that at least one of the incidents may have been organized on social media. <br /><br />Video shows cops with riot shields and assault rifles heading into the mall, while staff tell customers to get back from windows.<br /><br />In one video, a man is heard should that there is a 'gun over there', although no weapons were found. The sound of a gunshot was actually a chair being thrown, police later said.<br /><br />The fleeing shoppers snarled up traffic outside the building, delaying NJ transit buses to the mall by up to an hour.<br /><br />Eight people were injured in the fight and subsequent stampede, but no one was arrested. The mall will reopen Tuesday.<br /><br />In Aurora, Illinois, the Fox Valley Mall was evacuated when several fights broke out between customers. <br /><br />Footage shows security guards struggling to separate dozens of people - apparently youths - near a food court. <br /><br />They are surrounded by a large ring of spectators - which according to police numbered as many as 1,000 people. In the end 75 police officers were deployed and seven juveniles arrested.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4067534/amp/Chaos-reigns-malls-country-break-mass-brawls.html?" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-57729907167795055882016-12-30T22:21:00.001-05:002016-12-30T22:21:36.901-05:00One million moms protests transgender cartoon superhero<h1 class="title" style="-webkit-hyphens: manual; font-weight: normal; font: -apple-system-headline; max-width: 100%;">
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The Australian-Canadian cartoon, marketed toward children between the ages of 2 and 11 years old, comes from the creative mind of Obie Scott Wade, who told Zap2it.com that the idea for the animated series was inspired by a cartoon from his youth, "Shazam!", and his general love for superheroes. Wade denies that the show pushes any particular agenda, other than to entertain kids.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>"SheZow is not transgendered. He's a boy, his gender never changes, he's just trapped in a silly costume," Wade explained. He responded to claims that the cartoon is inappropriate for young viewers by adding, "I was a child when I thought of [the 'SheZow' idea]. I came up with that as a kid, so no, I don't [think it's inappropriate]."<br /><br />Hub president and CEO Margaret Loesch told the LA Times that when she first heard about "SheZow" she was initially turned off.<br /><br />"When I first heard about the show, my reaction was 'Are you out of your minds? Then I looked at it and I thought, 'This is just funny,'" said Loesch.<br /><br />The Hub, launched in 2010 and co-owned by Discovery Communications and toy maker Hasbro, Inc., is hoping "SheZow" can bring the network top ratings and place it as a serious contender alongside networks like Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network — while One Million Moms and other protesters are hoping the show gets the axe.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/one-million-moms-protests-gender-bending-kids-cartoon-shezow-97440/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-26787684025898173892016-12-23T23:39:00.001-05:002016-12-23T23:39:48.510-05:00Texas Megachurch turns Into Circus<div style="max-width: 100%;">
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A megachurch in Texas recently turned its annual Christmas production in its worship center into a circus—literally, complete with a ringmaster, tricks and trapezes.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>The Second Baptist Church of Texas, led by Dr. Ed Young, Sr., presented “Christmas Under the Big Top” at its Woodway campus from Friday to Tuesday, with tickets ranging from $10 to $25. The 90-minute drama centered on a storyline about a fictional effort to save a financially-struggling circus by putting on a Christmas show.<br /><br />In addition to much singing and dancing, the program also featured a Stomp-like trash can drumming peformance, and plenty of circus tricks, from juggling to acrobatics to Cyr wheel spinning. Styles of music varied from traditional to big band, to hip-hop and rock. A segment of the production also included a living nativity, and a brief message about life’s “distractions” from the meaning of Christmas was delivered near the conclusion.<br /><br />“The days of the traveling, family circus may be long gone, but don’t tell that to the Robichauxs,” a description of the storyline outlined on the Second Baptist <a href="http://sites.second.org/christmasunderthebigtop/">website</a>. “For four generations, they have captivated the hearts and minds of young and old alike with their high-flying antics and death-defying stunts. But times are changing, and the patriarch, Arthur Robichaux, must find a way to keep the circus alive in the midst of today’s ever-changing entertainment landscape.”<br /><br />“At his wit’s end, Arthur considers throwing in the towel when his son, Max, surprises him by coming home for Christmas. Can Arthur and Max save their beloved family circus?” it asks.<br /><br />Second Baptist also released a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SBCHouston/posts/10154889063148689">video</a> promoting the event, inviting viewers to “[c]elebrate the true meaning of Christmas with us.” The video featured clips from previous performances, including fire-breathing and unicycling.<br /><br />“For the past five years, Second Baptist Church has shared the story and joy of Christmas with over 100,000 people across Houston, featuring live music, dancing, aerobatics and so much more,” the announcer states. “Come be a part of this Houston holiday tradition as we celebrate the birth of Christ and take you on a new adventure.”<br /><br /><a href="http://christiannews.net/2016/12/21/texas-megachurch-turns-christmas-production-into-circus-literally/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-34874037117476328682016-12-20T21:35:00.000-05:002016-12-20T21:35:06.543-05:00Christians denounce gay tree ornaments depicting nativity scene<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A gay Christmas decoration showing a nativity scene with two Josephs has been slammed by outraged Christians.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>The colourful hanging tree ornaments – on sale for £13 - also have a lesbian version with two Virgin Marys sitting beside a baby Jesus Christ, who is lying in a manger.<br /><br />Campaign group Christian Concern has branded the decorations created by a California-based designer a 'blasphemous attempt to rewrite the Christmas story'.<br /><br />Chief executive Andrea Williams said: 'These decorations are a desperate and ridiculous attempt to pretend that homosexual relationships are pure and holy.<br /><br />'They blasphemously portray the Lord Jesus being parented by a homosexual couple. What depths will the LGBT lobby stoop to in order to try and normalise their behaviour?'<br /><br />Ms Williams added: 'God's design is for children to grow up with a male and a female parent. The Lord Jesus was parented in this way, and this is what is best for children.<br /><br />'The LGBT lobby is not interested in the welfare of children but only in pursuing its own selfish agenda. Trying to rewrite the Christmas story is their latest self-deception.'<br /><br />Artist Mark Thaler, from California, designed the decorations for his company Pride and More - and they are available to buy in the UK on Zazzle.co.uk.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4047750/This-blasphemous-attempt-rewrite-Christmas-story-Christian-campaign-group-slam-gay-tree-ornament-showing-nativity-scene-two-JOSEPHS.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-32430949768668851792016-12-19T23:50:00.001-05:002016-12-19T23:51:16.192-05:00Shots fired at American Embassy in Turkey<div style="text-align: center;">
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A man who opened fire with a shotgun outside the US embassy in Ankara - just hours after a Russian ambassador was shot dead in a nearby art gallery - has been arrested.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The man, who was named 'Sahir S' in the Turkish state press, approached the Embassy at around 4:30am local time. The building is just a block away from where the ambassador was assassinated.<br />
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The suspect fired the shotgun into the air eight or nine times before being detained, reports say. As he was taken away, he shouted 'Don't play with us,' according to <a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/370806-us-emabassy-ankara-shooting/">RT</a>.<br />
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It is not known whether anyone was hurt by the suspect, who was identified in state media as 'Sahir S', according to RT.<br />
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Photographs show him being led away, apparently uninjured. He appears to be in his forties or fifties.<br />
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In video footage he can be heard shouting 'Don't play with us' as he pushes against the group of police officers guiding him to a van.<br />
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The lockdown was ended and staff were given permission to leave the compound, although the US Embassy advised citizens to avoid the area until Tuesday morning. <br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4050384/Gunman-arrested-trying-enter-embassy-Turkish-capital-Ankara-just-hours-Russian-ambassador-shot-dead.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-65762458686814073072016-12-19T23:15:00.000-05:002016-12-19T23:15:46.549-05:00Putin vows to obliterate ISIS after assassination of Russia's ambassador to Turkey<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10px;">
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Putin said the assassination of his country’s ambassador to Turkey was “clearly a provocation” and vowed vowed to make those responsible “feel the heat”. <br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Mr Putin said this evening: “This murder is clearly a provocation aimed at undermining the improvement and normalisation of Russian-Turkish relations as well as undermining the peace process in Syria promoted by Russia, Turkey, Iran and other countries interested in solving this conflict in Syria. <br /><br />"The only response we should offer to this murder is stepping up our fight against terror. <br /><br />"The criminals will feel the heat. The Russian investigative committee has already launched an investigation into this killing and has been tasked with forming a working group that will fly to Ankara and join Turkish colleagues investigating this murder, something we agreed on in my phone conversation with the Turkish president just now.<br /><br />“We have to know who organised the killing, who gave orders to the assassin. <br /><br />“We need to strengthen security at Russian diplomatic commissions and Turkish diplomatic commissions in Russia. <br /><br />“We also need to receive guarantees from Turkey that Russian diplomatic missions in Turkey will enjoy strengthened security.”<br /><br /><a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/745352/putin-russian-ambassador-turkey-ankara-assassination-isis/amp?" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-47482166120443965532016-12-19T20:12:00.002-05:002016-12-19T20:13:46.661-05:00The World burns while Obama Golfs<div style="max-width: 100%;">
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With the dual breaking news events surrounding potential terrorism and a foreign diplomat being shot to death, White House pool reports showed that President Barack Obama headed to a country club in Hawaii near his rental house, where he is vacationing.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The first email shows that Obama has directed his staff to keep him updated on the situation in Turkey regarding the assassination of the Russian Ambassador.<br />
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From the White House, per Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz:<br />
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“This morning the President was briefed by his National Security Team on the assassination of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey in Ankara today. The President directed his team to provide updates as warranted.”<br />
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Meanwhile, at 10:10 a.m. in Kailua, the press van prepares to depart the rental house where we’ve been holding.<br />
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In a following email, we are informed that Obama is leaving the rental home to go play golf.<br />
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The President and his motorcade departed the Kailua neighborhood where the First Family rents a vacation home at 10:21 a.m. Spectators on the street threw shakas and recorded photos or video on cell phones as the motorcade made the 10-minute drive to Mid-Pacific Country Club, where the President will be golfing under cloudy skies.<br />
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The times listed are local Hawaii time. Obama’s motorcade left his vacation home at 3:21 PM ET.<br />
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Currently, the news is dominated by both the assassination in Turkey, which could have large-scale implications on foreign policy and relations, and multiple deaths in Berlin via a truck driving through a market in an incident reminiscent of the Nice terror attack.<br />
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Needless to say, there will be a lot of negative attention given to Obama playing golf in the immediate aftermath of these horrific, and potentially history-altering, events.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/obama-heads-to-golf-course-after-receiving-reports-on-berlin-attack-and-russian-ambassador-death/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-18388499022196902612016-12-19T15:45:00.000-05:002016-12-19T23:32:53.640-05:00Berlin: 12 dead 48 injured in Christmas Attack<div class="mol-para-with-font" style="-webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px;">
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A refugee is thought to have been behind the wheel of a 25-tonne articulated lorry which mowed down and killed 12 people - and injured 48 others - as it sped at 40mph through a busy Christmas market in Berlin. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>The vehicle laden with steel cargo mounted the pavement at 7pm, before tearing through stalls and shoppers on Breitscheidplatz Square, outside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the German capital's main shopping area.<br />
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The man at the wheel - who according to German newspaper Berliner used different aliases, was of Afghan heritage and had arrived in Germany in February - fled the scene before being arrested at a nearby zoo. <br />
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Police confirmed the original driver, who was transporting steel beams from Poland to Germany, was a Polish national who was found dead in the lorry's cabin. It is thought he was hijacked. <br />
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As German police, the White House and Germany's top security official indicated the incident was terror related, there was a chilling echo of the deadly terror attack in the French city of Nice in July. It also came just one hour after the Russian ambassador was shot dead in Ankara.<br />
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The harrowing incident also comes amid repeated warnings from various security agencies that ISIS planned to wreak havoc on European countries during the festive season, specifically threatening Christmas markets.<br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4049442/Terror-attack-fears-lorry-ploughs-Christmas-market-Berlin-leaving-two-people-dead.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a></div>
Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-86766569570702945492016-12-17T20:22:00.001-05:002016-12-17T20:22:19.067-05:00National Geographic promotes trans kids<div style="max-width: 100%;">
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As part of its January 2017 issue exploring our evolving understandings and definitions of gender, National Geographic is featuring nine-year-old transgender rights activist Avery Jackson on its cover—the first time a trans person has made the cover of the magazine.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Jackson rose to stardom last year when she began documenting her transition with “Avery Chats,” a series of YouTube videos describing how she came to understand her identity at such a young age and eventually came out to her parents as trans.<br /><br />“When I was born, doctors said I was a boy, but I knew in my heart I was a girl,” Jackson explained in her first video. “So I may have some boy body parts, but that’s not wrong, that is OK.”<br /><br />The National Geographic cover features a quote from Jackson which echoes the messages that have been central to her advocacy since she began: that she’s always been sure of her gender and that she loves who she is.<br /><br />“The best thing about being a girl is, now I don’t have to pretend to be a boy,” the quote reads.<br /><br />The issue is out on December 27. An accompanying documentary produced by National Geographic and hosted by Katie Couric is set to premiere in early February. Speaking to NBC Out, National Geographic editor-in-chief Susan Goldberg said that the both the upcoming issue of the magazine and the documentary are an attempt to tell the stories of transgender people that might not necessarily get widespread coverage otherwise.<br /><br /><a href="http://fusion.net/story/376311/avery-jackson-national-geographic-trans-cover/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-52407329566187613122016-12-16T23:14:00.001-05:002016-12-22T00:51:23.878-05:00Oklahoma girl, 13, accused of plotting mass attack on school<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">
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Police have arrested a 13-year-old girl suspected of plotting a mass shooting at her northern Oklahoma high school.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Acting on a tip, police in Tonkawa executed a search warrant Sunday at the girl's home and seized handguns and rifles, ammunition, and the girl's personal writings. Police Chief John Whitham said Wednesday that it's unclear how she got the weapons.<br />
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Police say the girl, who lives with her parents and grandmother, also made threats about specific students at the school, and that their families had been notified. She was charged as a juvenile with making threats to perform acts of violence and is being held in a youth detention center.<br />
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Investigators believe that the girl was acting alone, but they don't know of a possible motive.<br />
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"I don't know if it's something that had happened," Whitham said.<br />
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Tonkawa is a town of about 3,200 people about 85 miles north of Oklahoma City, near the Kansas border.<br />
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<a href="http://www.news9.com/story/34050753/oklahoma-girl-13-accused-of-plotting-mass-attack-on-school" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Full Report</a>Advent Messengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00708554736442670108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7800617279578856218.post-33823173496806851852016-12-16T22:31:00.001-05:002016-12-16T22:36:13.306-05:00Kids As Young As 8 Suspected In Violent, Morning Robbery<div style="text-align: center;">
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Police say the suspects in a violent crime that took place in Brooklyn, are children.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Surveillance footage shows the four young suspects — accused of robbing and attacking a man — and police say one of them is as young as 8.<br /><br />As CBS2’s Hazel Sanchez reported, a 30-year-old man was jumped outside of a co-op building on Willoughby Street off of Ashland Place in Fort Greene on the Friday after Thanksgiving around 12:30 a.m.<br /><br />Police said four kids, two boys between the ages of 12 and 14, a girl between 12 and 14 and an 8 or 9-year-old boy, approached the man and demanded his phone.<br /><br />They began punching him and threw him to the ground before taking off with the man’s laptop, headphones and a library book, police said.<br /><br />People from the neighborhood were surprised to hear that kids so young were out so late without an adult.<br /><br />“My son can’t be in the street at 12 o’clock and be in the house, and he’s 14.” Gabriel Alfredo said, “Maybe their parents don’t care about the kids.”<br /><br />“I think that’s horrible, and I think the kids today, the parents need to actually have more control over them. Because that’s ridiculous, that’s their elder, and they should respect him and that should not happen,” Gylen Bryant said.<br /><br />“It bugs me because I’m not a parent, but I’m about to be one and I wouldn’t want my kid outside at 8 years old at 12:30 at night. They have to get caught and they have to deal with the consequences. ” one man told 1010 WINS’ Glenn Schuck. “You’re not gonna put them in jail, but they have to be taught a lesson 100 percent.”<br /><br />Police were still looking for the young suspects on Tuesday. It’s believed they are from the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn. Anyone with information has been asked to call police.<br /><br /><a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/12/13/fort-greene-robbery-kids/">Full Report</a></div>
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