Uncategorized – Page 27 – The Faithful Watchman

RETAIL APOCALYPSE: Over 800 Retail Stores Set to Collapse Due to Inflation, Interest Rates, Crime

A mass exodus of retail stores across America is on the horizon as more than 800 big box locations set to close shop for good.

Big names set to close or downsize included Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Gap and Party City.

Soaring inflation means people are struggling to make ends meet and do not have the same disposable income they did a few years ago.

Combine that with rising interest rates, rampant crime, and you have a perfect storm.

There are at least 803 stores set to close over the rest of 2023, with many desperate trying to cut costs.

But it’s not just retail struggling. Silicon Valley is also braced for the economic downturn, with 70,000 jobs already lost in recent months, as we reported in January.

Iran can make fissile material for a bomb ‘in about 12 days’ – U.S. official

Iran could make enough fissile for one nuclear bomb in “about 12 days,” a top U.S. Defense Department official said on Tuesday, down from the estimated one year it would have taken while the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was in effect.

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl made the comment to a House of Representatives hearing when pressed by a Republican lawmaker why the Biden administration had sought to revive the deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

“Because Iran’s nuclear progress since we left the JCPOA has been remarkable. Back in 2018, when the previous administration decided to leave the JCPOA it would have taken Iran about 12 months to produce one bomb’s worth of fissile material. Now it would take about 12 days,” Kahl, the third ranking Defense Department official, told lawmakers.

“And so I think there is still the view that if you could resolve this issue diplomatically and put constraints back on their nuclear program, it is better than the other options. But right now, the JCPOA is on ice,” Kahl added.

Hamas: Huwara riots are a ‘declaration of war,’ cross all red lines

Suhai al-Hindi: “We are required to confront this conspiracy, killing and arson, with all our might, and the occupation knows only the language of force.”

The settler riots that swept Huwara on Sunday are a “declaration of war” and cross all red lines, warned Hamas political bureau official Suhai al-Hindi on Tuesday.

“The results of the Aqaba Summit are more killing, blood, and destruction for our Palestinian people, and what Nablus witnessed was a joint attack, as the occupation soldiers sponsor settlers to kill the Palestinian person and burn the Palestinian house and Palestinian entity,” said Hindi to the Palestinian news outlet Al-Watan Voice.

“We, on our part as Palestinians, cannot in any way accept this equation, and we cannot raise the white flag or accept that the enemy harms the Palestinian people,” added Hindi. “We are required to confront this conspiracy, killing and arson, with all our might, and the occupation knows only the language of force, not the language of dialogue, agreements and meetings.”

Hindi additionally pointed to riots that have taken place in recent days along the Gaza border, saying “The message of the rebellious youth in the eastern Gaza Strip is very clear, that when the Palestinian people suffer, the settler here on the Gaza border must suffer.”

Army Chief Warns Conflict With China Will Result In Strikes On US Mainland

Speaking at a recent event at the American Enterprise Institute, Christine Wormuth, Secretary of the Army, outlined the potential risks facing the U.S. homeland in the event of conflict with China. She explained that the Chinese military could launch kinetic and non-kinetic attacks, including cyberattacks on power grids and pipelines, in an attempt to erode support for any conflict.

Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn, Commander of U.S. Army Pacific, urged that American forces must be prepared and should accelerate their preparations, emphasizing that 2023 is an important year to create “enduring advantage.” He stated that the U.S. military is ready to respond to any threat that may arise and urged his forces to position themselves strategically to be ready to respond should the situation escalate beyond control.

Tensions have been rapidly escalating between China and the United States as experts warn that the two superpowers may be on a collision course towards war. In November 2021, Chinese dictator Xi Jinping ordered his troops to prepare for war and declared unifying Taiwan with mainland China “must be achieved”. Most experts predict that Beijing is “all but guaranteed” to attack Taiwan – it is just a matter of when.

Such a conflict would cut off U.S. access to world-leading semiconductors and other critical components manufactured in Taiwan. Not to mention the numerous pharmaceutical and consumer products we already rely upon China directly for. U.S. supplies of many products would soon run low, shutting down many businesses who rely on just in time inventory. Rationing, unemployment and inflation are all sure to follow.

Pregnant Illinois woman run over as she tried to rescue toddler from car thieves

A child safety group says it’s the 41st carjacking this year to involve a vehicle that had a child inside when it was stolen.

A pregnant Illinois woman is recovering in the hospital after she was run over by carjackers who stole her vehicle with her 2-year-old son still inside.

The woman, who is six months pregnant, had just taken one of her children inside after arriving home in the northern Chicago suburb of Libertyville on Thursday. When she went back outside to get her 2-year-old, a white BMW pulled behind her VW Atlas, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

The male passenger in the BMW got out and tried to steal the VW as the woman fought to protect her son.

The man attacked the woman, knocking her to the ground and taking the car with her son inside, the sheriff’s office said. As the two men in the cars fled, one of them ran over the woman, inflicting serious injuries.

The 34-year-old woman was able to call 911. Luckily, the men left the toddler in a parking lot, and a person inside a business grabbed him before he could wander into a nearby busy road.

The woman is recovering in serious but stable condition at a local hospital.

Iran displays ballistic missile with ‘Death to Israel’ written in Hebrew

Revolutionary Guards showcase apparent projectile at weapons exhibition in Isfahan, days after an attack on military site in the city blamed on Israel

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps on Wednesday displayed an apparent ballistic missile with the words “Death to Israel” emblazoned in Hebrew down the side, at an exhibition in the central city of Isfahan.

Pictures posted by the Tasnim news agency show what appears to be a surface-to-surface missile in a launcher with elaborate Hebrew script running down its side.

It was not clear if it was an actual missile or a mockup.

The display comes days after a significant drone attack on a key Iranian defense facility in the same city. The site hit in the strike was reportedly a weapons production facility for Iran’s killer Shahed-136 drones.

The attack was one of a number widely attributed to Israel, which has a policy of not commenting on such operations.

Iran officially blamed Israel for the strike, filing a complaint with the United Nations Security Council about the “terrorist attack” launched by the Jewish state and saying it reserves its “legitimate and inherent right” to retaliate.

Following the publication of the pictures of the missile, a senior Foreign Ministry official told the Ynet news site that “the message is very clear — if anyone had any doubts.”

The Rise of Witchcraft in the Last Days

Witchcraft can be alluring on the surface, but its consequences can be devastating as can be gleaned from personal accounts of people who dabbled in the practice.

The practice of witchcraft is on the rise. Amidst economic uncertainty, political turmoil, and environmental concerns, astrology and the occult have gained widespread acceptance. And as people seek control over the chaos and instability around them, occultism is expected to gain further interest worldwide.

Hence, it is such an alarming trend to witness the practice of witchcraft spreading even more rapidly via social media, sweeping across the globe like wildfire.

Tracker: Over 280 Attacks on U.S. Catholic Churches Since May 2020

CV NEWS FEED // As civil unrest gripped the country in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in May 2020, Catholic churches were not exempt from mobs that destroyed property in cities across America. But while the riots and looting mostly died down in the summer of 2020, the attacks on Catholic churches have continued and escalated.

Since civil unrest began on May 28, 2020, there have been at least 281 attacks against Catholic churches in the United States, including arson attacks which damaged or destroyed historic churches; spray-painting and graffiti of satanic messages; rocks and bricks thrown through windows; and statues destroyed (often with heads cut off). A new spate of at least 124 attacks has occurred since the draft Supreme Court opinion proposing to reverse Roe v. Wade was leaked in early May 2022, with many including graffiti with pro-abortion messages. Crucially, while a handful of the attacks have included thefts, the vast majority have only involved property destruction, indicating that the primary motive is not material gain.

The attacks on Catholic churches have been widespread across the country, affecting 42 states plus DC. The states with the most attacks are California (42), New York (28), Pennsylvania (19), Texas (15), Colorado (14), New Jersey (14), Massachusetts (12), Florida (11), Washington (11), and Oregon (10). Hotspots with large clusters of attacks include New York City (25) and the metro areas of Denver (13); Los Angeles (13); San Francisco/Bay Area (11); Washington, D.C. (10); Boston (10); Portland, Oregon (9); Seattle (7); Chicago (6); and Houston (5). Some of the churches have been attacked multiple times.

Biblical Siloam Pool next to Temple Mount to be fully excavated

“The other events of Hezekiah’s reign, and all his exploits, and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought the water into the city, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Yehuda KINGS 20: 20 (THE ISRAEL BIBLE)

The ancient pool of Siloam, first mentioned in the biblical book of Kings II, will be fully excavated and opened to the public, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Tuesday.

The structure is located just outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City to the southeast.

“The Pool of Siloam in the City of David National Park in Jerusalem is a site of historic, national and international significance,” said Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion. “After many years of anticipation, we will soon merit being able to uncover this important site and make it accessible to the millions of visitors visiting Jerusalem each year.”

During the Second Temple period, millions of pilgrims coming from outside of Jerusalem probably used the pool as a ritual bath (mikveh) before ascending to the Temple Mount, through what archaeologists have dubbed as the “Pilgrimage Road,” the city’s main street that led directly to the sanctuary.

By that point, the pool – which was the city’s main water source – had been renovated and expanded to reach its largest size, approximately 5 dunams (1¼ acres).

Nearly all House Democrats oppose resolution condemning attacks on churches, pro-life facilities

Nearly all U.S. House Democrats voted against a resolution condemning attacks against anti-abortion facilities and churches. The vote came after a report was published showing violence escalated against churches and pro-life groups last year ahead of and after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

The House passed the measure Wednesday mostly along party lines. Three Democrats voted for it: Reps. Vicente Gonzalez of south Texas, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.

The resolution “condemns recent attacks of vandalism, violence, and destruction against pro-life facilities, groups and churches” and “calls upon the Biden Administration to use all appropriate law enforcement authorities to uphold public safety and to protect the rights of pro-life facilities, groups, and churches.”

There have been at least 420 hostile acts committed against primarily churches in America over the past five years, according to the report published by the Family Research Council.