Category: Uncategorized

On April 8, parts of the United States will experience a total eclipse — and a projected million people will travel to Texas alone to witness the state as it descends into total blackness.

While many are excited to see the celestial event of a lifetime, the blackout could also affect how much solar power is generated.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is lightly sounding the alarm, saying the phenomenon will affect solar energy production in Texas as the eclipse passes from the southwest to the northeast.

Texas is the second-largest producer of solar energy after California, harvesting 6% of its electricity from solar energy.

Keith, Jeffy, and Kris Cruz remind Pat Gray that this eclipse, its energy consequences, and the April 8 “devil comet” could be a sign of the “end times.”

The comet’s real name is 12P/Pons-Brooks, but it was given the nickname “devil comet” for its horn-shaped celestial body.

“That feels very apocalyptic,” Keith says while Gray notes that there’s a lot going on in the world that can be taken as “signs,” making this idea feel not too far-fetched.

One of these signs is the Red Heifer prophecy, which is the belief by some Jews and Christians that Texas red heifers are the key to rebuilding a Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

In addition, while recently listing the motives for the October 7 attack on Israel, a Hamas spokesman accused Jews of “bringing red cows” to the Holy Land.

“Signs of the apocalypse,” Gray says.

Read more at: theblaze.com

Fairfax County Virginia has named Easter Sunday 2024 as “Transgender Visibility Day,” in what many Christians see as a hijack of their most sacred holiday.

The Fairfax County School Board has added Transgender Visibility Day to its prior designations of June as LGBT Pride Month and October as LGBT History Month for a remarkable 62 days of LGBT celebration in the district’s schools.

The Rev. Emma Chattin, executive director of Transgender Education Association, praised the board’s decision, asserting that visibility can be “a heroic thing, especially for our trans women of color in our community, who face additional intersectional obstacles of prejudice regarding safety, housing, employment and health care.”

Writing for the Washington Examiner, however, Fairfax local Stephanie Lundquist-Arora said the board members are telling Christians they do not matter by turning “one of their holiest days into a celebration of an ideology that undermines the church’s core convictions.”

The school board’s nine Democrats all voted in favor of the measure, whereas the token Republican on the board, Patrick Herrity, did not show up for the vote.

“I’m looking forward to the day when we have a full dais for this proclamation, and that day will come,” said board member James Walkinshaw of Herrity’s absence. “One way or the other, that day will come.”

That sentiment was echoed by Democrat Dalia Palchik, supervisor for the Providence district of the county. “What we say at this dais matters,” she said. “What you say in the community, what our leaders say and the outcome of that really matters.”

“Our transgender students are depressed,” Palchik contended. “Nearly half have considered suicide. You see across the board in our LGBT community that it is the one community that stands out higher than any other demographic in our students of depression, attempting suicide, considering suicide.”

“To me, it is a moral imperative and also a public health imperative that we band together,” she said.

Read more at: breitbart.com

Within the past few days, so much has been happening in the heavens.  There has been an enormous geomagnetic storm that has caused “a major disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field”, a comet that only comes around once every 71 years is racing through the inner solar system, and a lunar eclipse just painted the sky red over much of the planet.  And of course we are just a couple of weeks away from the Great American Eclipse of 2024, and I will have much more to say about that eclipse as it draws closer.  But in this article, I want to focus on 3 very unusual things that are happening in the heavens right now…

#1 A massive geomagnetic storm hit the Earth on Sunday.  

The good news is that this storm was not strong enough to damage our power grids.

But it did create “a major disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field”, and CBS News is reporting that we should keep a close eye on the sun because “more X-class flares are possible through Wednesday”…

The planet was just slammed with what government officials dubbed a severe geomagnetic storm, the second-highest level of NOAA’s rating system. The event brought “a major disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field” that may have impacted infrastructure and made the northern lights visible farther than usual, officials said.

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued a geomagnetic storm watch on Saturday, saying that a coronal mass ejection was detected and expected to hit the planet late that same day with impacts into Monday. Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, are when a large cloud of plasma and magnetic field bursts from the sun’s corona.

This particular CME exploded alongside a solar flare on Friday, an event that occurs when electromagnetic radiation suddenly erupts from the sun. NOAA says these flares can last hours and the eruption “travels at the speed of light,” meaning it can impact Earth as soon as it is observed. An X-class flare, like what was observed with the CME, is the strongest type of flare, although this particular one was not the strongest on record. NOAA forecasters did say, however, that more X-class flares are possible through Wednesday.

Canada has fallen behind most of its G7 peers, warns senior deputy governor

Canada must tackle weak productivity to inoculate the economy against factors that will drive future inflation, such as the pullback from globalization, said Carolyn Rogers, senior deputy governor of the Bank of Canada.

“An economy with low productivity can grow only so quickly before inflation sets in. But an economy with strong productivity can have faster growth, more jobs and higher wages with less risk of inflation,” she said in a March 26 speech in Halifax, adding that other drivers of inflation will include changing demographics, the economic impact of climate change and global tensions.

Canada’s productivity has fallen from a “not great” record of producing 88 per cent of the value generated by the United States economy per hour in 1984 to just 71 per cent in 2022, she said. And while weak investment has been a problem in Canada for the past 50 years, the gap between the level of capital spending per worker by Canadian firms and the level spent by their U.S. counterparts has become worse over the past decade or so.

“While U.S. spending continues to increase, Canadian investment levels are lower than they were a decade ago,” Rogers told her audience, adding that Canada has also fallen behind most of its G7 peers, with only Italy seeing a larger decline in productivity relative to the United States.

“You’ve seen those signs that say: In emergency, break glass — Well, it’s time to break the glass,” she said.

Increasing competition is among the solutions that Rogers proposed. She also urged policymakers to focus on sectors and companies that add greater value to the economy and to set the stage for increased investment, including in technologies that will improve productivity and efficiency.

“When a company increases productivity, that means more revenue, which allows the company to pay higher wages to its workers without having to raise prices,” Rogers said. “The bottom line is that the benefits from raising productivity are there no matter what your role is: for workers, for businesses and, yes, for central bankers, too.”

Rogers said policymakers should also focus on labour composition, or the skills workers bring to the job to improve Canada’s productivity.

This includes training and “re-skilling“ for existing workers and taking advantage of immigration.

“Too often, new Canadians are working in jobs that don’t take advantage of the skills they already possess. And too often these people wind up stuck in low-wage, low-productivity jobs,” she said. “Doing better at matching jobs and workers is crucial to the future of Canada’s economy.”

Rogers said her biggest concern, though, is competition, especially because certain sectors in Canada are not facing competition from firms in other provinces, foreign rivals or new entrants.

“Of course, every country has certain sectors that it champions, and there can be valid reasons to protect local businesses,” she said. “However, too much protection can lead to problems. It can also help to explain Canada’s weak record in business investment.”

Read more at: financialpost.com

Justice Colin Feasby said his decision will be stayed for 30 days so lawyers for the father of the woman can decide whether to file an appeal.

Fewer than three months into 2024, there have already been more measles cases reported in the U.S. than were reported during all of 2023, according to data posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC indicates that as of March 21, there had been 64 measles cases reported, compared to just 58 reported in all of 2023.

“As of March 21, 2024, a total of 64 measles cases were reported by 17 jurisdictions: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington,” the CDC reported.

But that figure pales in comparison to the 2019 number, which was much higher. “From January 1 to December 31, 2019, 1,274 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 31 states,” the CDC noted. “This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1992.”

The illness is very contagious, but the vaccine is very effective, the CDC indicates.

“Measles (rubeola) is highly contagious; one person infected with measles can infect 9 out of 10 unvaccinated individuals with whom they come in close contact,” the agency noted. “Measles is almost entirely preventable through vaccination. MMR vaccines are safe and highly effective, with two doses being 97% effective against measles (one dose is 93% effective). When more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated (coverage >95%) most people are protected through community immunity (herd immunity).”

The CDC noted that “From January 1 to March 14, 2024,” it was “notified of 58 confirmed U.S. cases of measles across 17 jurisdictions” and that of those, “54 (93%) were linked to international travel. Most cases reported in 2024 have been among children aged 12 months and older who had not received measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.”

There have been some measles cases connected to a migrant shelter in Chicago, Illinois.

Read more at: theblaze.com

Chicago health officials have confirmed two more measles cases, both of which stemming from the Pilsen migrant shelter. The latest case update brings the citywide total to 12 cases.

According to the CDPH, 10 of the 12 cases originate from the Pilsen migrant shelter, and the confirmed cases are split between six adults and six children.

The cases in Chicago come amid a nationwide resurgence of measles, with cases currently being confirmed in 17 different states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Gov. J.B. Pritzker directed the department, alongside the Illinois Department of Human Services and Illinois Emergency Management Agency, to assist Chicago and Cook County officials in containing the spread of the virus earlier this week.

“IDPH is working to coordinate state assistance to support our local public health partners as they contend with a measles outbreak that reflects an ongoing national rise in measles this year,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said. “While the vast majority of Chicago and Cook County residents are vaccinated for measles and not at risk, we strongly support the call from the Chicago Department of Public Health for all unvaccinated residents to get the measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine now. Measles is highly contagious and can cause serious complications for those that are non-immunized.”

Though the cases are currently in Chicago, Cook County Department of Public Health Chief Operating Officer Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck said health officials are currently tracking nearly 100 people who were potentially exposed to the virus.

In addition to assisting their Chicago counterparts with isolation and quarantine solutions, Illinois health officials are also providing infection control assessments at quarantine sites, medical assessments and assistance with testing.

The new cases come as a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arrived at the Pilsen shelter on Tuesday in an effort to curb the spread of the highly contagious virus.

Health officials said case investigations for those infected are ongoing to determine if any unvaccinated individuals were in contact with them while they were infectious.

“While we’re seeing new cases every day, this is not like the COVID-19 outbreak. The vast majority of Chicagoans are vaccinated against measles and therefore not at high risk,” CDPH Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo ‘Simbo’ Ige said. “But those who are unvaccinated need to take precautions and if they’re exposed, quarantine immediately and connect with your healthcare provider. Above all else, get vaccinated so you, too, can be protected from this virus.”

Health officials are encouraging all new arrivals and all previously unvaccinated Chicagoans to receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Officials said that approximately 900 residents inside the Pilsen shelter have received the vaccine in recent days while confirming immunity for the others, meaning they were either previously vaccinated or infected.

The MMR vaccine is available at most clinics, medical provider’s offices and pharmacies. Children 6 months and older can get vaccinated, while children 7 and older can also get the MMR shot at pharmacies under Illinois law.

A first dose of the MMR vaccine is recommended at 12 months of age while a second dose is recommended at 4 to 6 years old.

Read more at: nbcchicago.com

Haiti is “in a state of chaos” as brutal gang members attack police officers with machetes, a journalist in Port-au-Prince has claimed.

Violence has plagued the country’s capital of Port-au-Prince for years, but the situation has escalated drastically as gangs demand that Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry resign. A state of emergency has been declared in the country after gangs attacked two prisons, setting many criminals free. It is now thought that 80% of the Haitian capital is controlled by these gangs.

Describing the violence in the country, a journalist said that cannibalism has been witnessed on the streets as the violence reaches “unprecedented” levels, reports the Express US. Speaking anonymously, they said: “Haiti is living in a total chaotic situation right now. It is total chaos everywhere, especially in the capital where I am right now.

“Haiti has a leader, Prime Minister Ariel Henry, but he is not inside the country right now. In the meantime you have gangs waging full attacks on key institutions.

“You also have attacks on police stations. The officers were in there for three hours crying for help, and after that, we saw images of officers being cut by machetes being shared on social media. The gangs are heavily armed with guns from the US, but they are also equipped with high-level technology like drones.

“The level of violence is unprecedented. The gangs seemingly want to kill as many people as they can. They are in a fear campaign where they want to appear as murderous and as violent as possible.”

After the interview, the journalist sent a message reading: “Cannibalism is not widespread, but definitely an indication of the worsening situation. It definitely happens on a few occasions.”

There’s a power struggle among gangs in Haiti, but one of the most feared figures in Port-au-Prince’s underworld is Jimmy Cherizier.

Read more at: dailystar.co.uk

A new poll found a near-record low of Americans are “very satisfied” with their lives, with just 47% of adults expressing high fulfillment and contentedness.

This is only the third time in the past two decades that Gallup has seen the proportion dip below 50%, with a three percentage point decrease in the last year, as the polling firm noted.

Lower life satisfaction comes amid concerns over the state of affairs, inflation woes, and other sentiments. But it seems a few groups stand out regarding their higher-than-average satisfaction. Among them: faithful churchgoers.

In fact, a total of 56% of U.S. Adults who attend religious services weekly say they are very satisfied with how things are going in their personal lives, with 52% of those who attend nearly weekly or monthly saying the same.

Just 41% who seldom of never attend express the same, showing the full benefit of faith.

Meanwhile, 58% of people who have an annual household income of $100,000 or more, 57% of people who are married, and 54% of college graduates say the same.

Two other groups who cross the 50% threshold are Democrats (52%) and people aged 55 and older (51%).

“Americans are currently less satisfied with their personal lives than they have been since 2011, whether that is based on the percentage satisfied or very satisfied,” Gallup noted in its conclusion. “This lower satisfaction level coincides with weak economic confidence.”

The text continued, “However, some groups of U.S. adults are still registering majority-level high satisfaction with their lives, including higher-income, married, more religious, college educated, older Americans and Democrats.”

Gallup’s finding that church attendance and faith yield happiness fall in mine with previous research on the matter.

As CBN’s Faithwire has reported, numerous studies show the power and importance of faith in Americans’ lives. Last years’ the American Bible Society’s 13th “State of the Bible” report revealed “Scripture-engaged individuals were shown to have the highest levels of persevering hope.”

A past Barna Group survey exposed a stunning relational disparity between practicing Christians and U.S. adults more generally. While 61% of practicing Christians said they are flourishing in friendships and relationships, just 28% of U.S. adults said the same, according to The Christian Post.

Church attendance also seems to yield some intensely positive benefits. Gallup Senior Scientist Frank Newport reported last year on statistics found by his polling firm backing the notion that attending religious services has a compelling impact on people’s life views.

“The January Gallup data indicate that 92% of those who attend church services weekly are satisfied, compared with 82% of those who attend less than monthly,” Newport wrote. “The difference is even more evident in terms of the percentage who report being very satisfied — 67% of those who attend weekly are very satisfied with their personal life, compared with 48% among those who are infrequent attenders.”

Meanwhile, 44% of weekly churchgoers told Gallup they would describe their “mental health and emotional wellbeing” as “excellent.” This compares to 46% who said the same in 2020 and 42% of regular congregants who reported “excellent” mental health in 2019, holding relatively steady.

Read more at: faithwire.com

The percentage of adults with non-traditional sexual identities has more than doubled since 2012

Over 28% of women in the youngest US adult cohort identify as LGBTQ, most of them as bisexual, according to a Gallup annual survey published on Wednesday.

The polling agency began asking Americans about their sexual identity in 2012. In that time, the number of adults who identify as something other than heterosexual has gone from 3.5% to 7.6%.

“Overall, each younger generation is about twice as likely as the generation that preceded it” to identify as LGBTQ, the pollster said.

More than one in five Americans in Generation Z (born between 1997-2012) identify as LGBTQ, up from almost one in ten millennials (1981-1996).

In the 2024 survey, 28.5% of Gen-Z women checked one of the LGBT identity boxes, mainly ‘bisexual’ (20.7%), with lesbians accounting for 5.4% and transgenders for 2.1%. Among men of the same generation, 10.6% identified with the rainbow flag, with bisexuals (6.9%) outnumbering the gays (2.8%).

By comparison, only 5.4% of millennial men and 12.4% of women identified as LGBTQ, the survey said. Older Americans were more likely to identify as gay or lesbian than bisexual or trans.

Overall, gays and lesbians represent slightly over 1% of US adults, compared to bisexuals at 4.4%. Bisexual is the dominant identity in the LGBT camp, with 57.3%. Gallup did note that there was some overlap between identities, as the survey allowed for multiple categories.

The results were based on a telephone survey of more than 12,000 Americans aged 18 and over. While 7.6% said they identified as one or more LGBTQ groups, 85.6% said they were heterosexual and 6.8% declined to answer.

The current US government has gone all-in on supporting alternative sexual identities, both at home and abroad. By contrast, Russia has banned LGBTQ “propaganda” and targeting of minors. However, as President Vladimir Putin recently pointed out, Russia is “quite tolerant towards people with non-traditional sexual orientations,” believing in a “live and let live” approach so long as people don’t flaunt it – and leave the children alone.

Read more at: rt.com