Category Archives: Featured

Ex-St. Louis policeman acquitted of murdering black motorist

By Valerie Volcovici

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) – A Missouri judge on Friday found a former St. Louis police officer not guilty of murder in the shooting death of a black man after a car chase in 2011, prosecutors said.

Officials feared the verdict could set off violent protests, as have similar deadly cases involving police and minorities around the United States in recent years.

Jason Stockley, 36, who is white, had been charged with first-degree murder, accused of intentionally killing Anthony Lamar Smith, 24, and planting a gun in his car. Stockley, who was arrested in May 2016, testified he acted in self-defense.

Judge Timothy Wilson’s highly anticipated ruling was announced Friday, more than five weeks after the bench trial ended.

Prosecutor Kimberly Gardner said in a statement she was disappointed with the verdict and believed she had presented proof that Stockley intended to kill Smith.

“However, in this case it was the judge’s duty to evaluate the evidence and deliver his findings,” she said. “That’s how our system works.”

Killings of unarmed black people by U.S. police in recent years triggered widespread protests and activists promised disruptive demonstrations if Stockley was acquitted.

St. Louis and state officials were braced for violent protests and racial tensions like those that followed the 2014 fatal shooting by police of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, near St. Louis.

Missouri Governor Eric Greitens on Thursday put the National Guard on standby. Some schools called off classes and some events were postponed, according to local media.

Christina Wilson, Smith’s fiancée, pleaded at a news conference on Thursday evening for protesters to avoid violence if they demonstrate.

The verdict in St. Louis follows high-profile mistrials or acquittals of police officers charged in shootings in Ohio and Minnesota this year.

Authorities say Smith tried to flee from Stockley on Dec. 20, 2011. During a pursuit, Stockley could be heard saying on an internal police car video that he was going to kill Smith, prosecutors said.

Stockley, riding in the passenger seat of a patrol vehicle with his personal AK-47 in one hand and department-issued weapon in the other, shot at Smith’s car, according to St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Susan Ryan and charging documents. Stockley and his partner chased Smith at speeds exceeding 80 miles per hour (129 kph), the documents said.

At Stockley’s direction, the driver of the police car slammed into Smith’s vehicle and they came to a stop. Stockley then approached Smith’s car and shot him five times, court documents said.

Stockley’s lawyers said he fired in self-defense because he believed Smith was reaching for a gun but prosecutors said the only gun recovered from the scene had only Stockley’s DNA on it.

Stockley, who maintained his innocence, waived his right to a jury trial, allowing the judge to decide. He left the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in 2013, and additional evidence led to his arrest last year.

Smith’s family in 2013 settled a lawsuit filed against the city for $900,000, the family’s lawyer, Albert Watkins, said.

(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales and Chris Kenning; Editing by Bill Trott)

Trump says U.S. is ‘locked and loaded’ in North Korea confrontation

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about North Korea during an opioid-related briefing at Trump's golf estate in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., August 8, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

By James Oliphant and Dahee Kim

BEDMINSTER, N.J./SEOUL (Reuters) – President Donald Trump issued a new threat to North Korea on Friday, saying the U.S. military was “locked and loaded” as Pyongyang accused him of driving the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war and world powers expressed alarm.

The Pentagon said the United States and South Korea would proceed as planned with a joint military exercise in 10 days, an action sure to further antagonize North Korea. Meanwhile, Russia, China and Germany voiced dismay at the escalating rhetoric from Pyongyang and Washington.

Trump, vacationing at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf resort, kept up the war of words and again referenced North Korea’s leader in his latest bellicose remarks toward Pyongyang this week. “Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely,” he wrote on Twitter. “Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!”

The term “locked and loaded,” popularized in the 1949 war film “Sands of Iwo Jima” starring American actor John Wayne, refers to preparations for shooting a gun.

Asked later by reporters to explain the remark, “Those words are very, very easy to understand.”

Again referring to Kim, Trump added, “If he utters one threat … or if he does anything with respect to Guam or any place else that’s an American territory or an American ally, he will truly regret it, and he will regret it fast.”

Friday’s tweet by the Republican president, a wealthy businessman and former reality television personality, came after the North Korean state news agency, KCNA, put out a statement saying “Trump is driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war.”

Guam, the Pacific island that is a U.S. territory, posted emergency guidelines on Friday to help residents prepare for any potential nuclear attack after a threat from North Korea to fire missiles in its vicinity.

“Do not look at the flash or fireball – It can blind you,” the guidelines stated. “Take cover behind anything that might offer protection.”

Guam is home to a strategically located U.S. air base, a Navy installation, a Coast Guard group and roughly 6,000 U.S. military personnel. KCNA said on Thursday the North Korean army would complete plans in mid-August to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land in the sea 18 to 25 miles (30-40 km) from Guam.

The United States, which is technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with only a truce, wants to stop Pyongyang from developing nuclear missiles that could hit the United States.

North Korea, a reclusive nation with an underdeveloped economy and few allies, sees its nuclear arsenal as protection against the United States and its partners in Asia.

‘BACK CHANNELS’

Trump said he did not want to talk about diplomatic “back channels” with North Korea after U.S. media reports that Joseph Yun, the U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, has engaged in diplomacy for several months with Pak Song Il, a senior diplomat at Pyongyang’s U.N. mission, on the deteriorating relations and the issue of Americans imprisoned in North Korea.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged Pyongyang and Washington to sign up to a previously unveiled joint Russian-Chinese plan under which North Korea would freeze missile tests and the United States and South Korea would impose a moratorium on large-scale military exercises. Neither the United States nor North Korea has embraced the plan.

Lavrov said the risks of a military conflict over North Korea’s nuclear program are very high and Moscow is deeply worried by the threats from Washington and Pyongyang.

“Unfortunately, the rhetoric in Washington and Pyongyang is now starting to go over the top,” Lavrov said on live state television at a forum for Russian students. “We still hope and believe that common sense will prevail.”

The annual joint U.S.-South Korean military exercise, called Ulchi-Freedom Guardian, is expected to proceed as scheduled starting on Aug. 21, said Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman.

Trump’s latest comments were a continuation of days of incendiary rhetoric, including his warning on Tuesday that the United States would unleash “fire and fury” on Pyongyang if it threatened the United States.

Amid the heated words, South Koreans are buying more ready-to-eat meals that could be used in an emergency and the government is planning to expand nationwide civil defense drills planned for on Aug. 23. Hundreds of thousands of troops and huge arsenals are arrayed on both sides of the tense demilitarized zone between the two Koreas.

Tension in the region rose when North Korea staged two nuclear bomb tests last year and increased further when it launched two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July in defiance of world powers.

The United Nations this month tightened sanctions on Pyongyang after it tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads to the United States.

The damage inflicted on world stocks this week by the tensions topped $1 trillion by Friday, as investors again took cover in the yen, the Swiss franc, gold and government bonds.

U.S. financial markets took the rhetorical escalation in stride on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.06 percent while the S&P 500 gained 0.12 percent and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.64 percent.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there is no military solution to the dispute, adding that “an escalation of the rhetoric is the wrong answer.”

“I see the need for enduring work at the U.N. Security Council … as well as tight cooperation between the countries involved, especially the U.S. and China,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin.

Trump said hours later, “Let her speak for Germany.”

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has called a meeting of EU member states next week to discuss what action they will take regarding North Korea

There were no changes as of Friday morning in the U.S. military status in the continental United States or in the Pacific military command readiness or alert status, U.S. officials said.

China, North Korea’s most important ally and trading partner, hopes all sides can do more to help ease the crisis and increase mutual trust, rather than taking turns in shows of strength, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Trump on Thursday again urged China to do more to resolve the situation.

Dr. Gary Smalley, Champion to Marriage and Family Passes on to Heaven

“Life is relationships; the rest is just details.”   Gary Smalley

The PTL Television Network, Jim Bakker Show, the Bakker family and all of us here at Morningside are praying today for the friends and family of a wonderful man, Dr. Gary Smalley who passed into heaven over the weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado.    

Dr. Smalley devoted his professional life to guiding others in repairing marriages that were all but broken.  He and his beautiful wife Norma began an organization devoted to families and to the intimate and heartfelt ministry of developing good and solid marriages in 1979.  Their organization eventually evolved into retreat centers in 10 different cities.

Gary’s heart was to educate and inspire couples to love better and last a life-time!  But, even with the thousands of couples that he has helped through his retreat centers, counseling, speaking engagements and books, he spoke proudest of his two wonderful sons, Greg and Mike, his beautiful daughter Kari, and the amazing families they are raising. Every single day, there was never a doubt that he was completely aware of the love and blessings he had with the light of his life, his wife Norma.

Gary Smalley became one of the country’s best-known authors and speakers on family relationships. He is the author and co-author of 60 books along with several popular films and videos. He has spent over 35 years learning, teaching, and counseling. In a heartfelt post on facebook a friend wrote these words,  

“For the zillions profoundly impacted by Gary & Norma Smalley’s ministry and all those who have resurrected & salvaged dead-end relationships…and for those who just want to know how to do relationships right….this will be a loss heard around the world for decades to come.”

According to a post by his daughter on her facebook page, Dr. Smalley’s last days were spent surrounded by his loving family. The last words spoken over him were “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;”  Numbers 6:24-25

According to an article in Christian News Today, a celebration of life will take place Saturday, March 19 at 3:00 p.m. at College of the Ozarks Chapel in Point Lookout, Missouri. It will be open to the public for all who wish to honor Smalley’s life and legacy.

Our hearts and prayers are with Dr. Smalley’s family and friends but we also feel the joy of knowing that he is where love begins and ends, held within God’s loving arms.  

 

Chinese Pastor Who Opposed Cross Removal Imprisoned

A Chinese Christian pastor who vocally defended area churches when government officials removed crosses from buildings has been thrown in jail.

Pastor Huang Yizi was sentenced by the “People’s Court” of Pingyany County for “gathering crowds to disturb the social order.”  He was given one year in prison for the conviction.

Pastor Huang’s conflict with the local authorities was sparked by demands for the government to explain the beating of more than 50 parishioners in his government-sanctioned Fengwo Church.  The parishioners were attempting to stop the removal of a cross from Salvation Church in Pingyang.

The police stopped more than 400 Christians from attending the trial.  A witness said they stopped cars at first and then blocked off a perimeter of almost three football fields around the courthouse.

The destructions were revealed to be a government plan to stop the Christian churches from continuing their fast growth.

Film Created By Homeschoolers Coming To Theaters

A family-friendly movie created by largely Christian homeschoolers is going to be released in theaters on April 6th.

The movie, “Beyond The Mask”, is a historical thriller revolving around the Revolutionary War.  An assassin for the British East India Company seeks to redeem his life by stopping a plot against the American colonies.  Through the process, he discovers faith in Christ.

The movie stars Andrew Chaney, Kara Killmer (Chicago Fire) and veteran British actor John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Lord of the Rings).  Rhys-Davies said he was very impressed with the 400 homeschooled students who created the film.

“I sort of like mavericks who challenge the Hollywood studio system,” he explained. “There are many subcultures in the U.S., and they always defy my expectations, and I welcome homeschoolers. I find them keen and enthusiastic, with a moral code and impressive integrity. I really liked working with them—and they made a jolly good romp of a film.”

The film’s director, Chad Burns, told The Christian Post the movie will be a quality Christian film.

“We live in a Facebook culture that is obsessed with identity—with every post and every Tweet,” he said. “People build these elaborate masks. People want to be seen as a successful student or a successful magazine editor or a successful mother—whatever the category. Jesus said that unless we’re finding our identity in Him, unless we’re resting in His finished work, we’re never going to find that satisfaction and fulfillment we’re looking for.”

“Empire” Actor Says His Faith Makes Hollywood People Uncomfortable

Trai Byers has been given his big career break in the Fox smash hit “Empire” and says that he has to lean on his Christian faith to keep him grounded in the avalanche of attention, praise and even criticism.

Byers says that people sometimes confuse him with the character he plays on the show, which has drawn threats on social media.

“On social media and on the street people were saying, ‘If I see Trai on the street, I’m going to slap him in the face.’ Whether it’s true or not, it’s not a good thing to hear,” Byers told The Christian Post. “Ultimately, knowing God and reading the Word, it helps with patience with people, understanding, empathy and sympathy that they might not have that I have. If God gave it to me, why not exercise it?”

Byers says he believes that God has blessed him with this opportunity so he can tell others about Jesus.

“I know a part of my journey now, the reason I’m an actor now, the platform that I have now. I’m supposed to share the Lord with people. All of us are disciples on some level,” he told CP. “You don’t have to be behind the podium to tell a story, connect with people and share the Gospel.”

However, Byers is quick to point out that before he received this opportunity, he struggled with his faith during the hard times.

“I felt success on me, and I was wondering why it wasn’t manifesting itself in the way I thought it would. And it was just a war between flesh and spirit. But ultimately, God got me to a place where I delved deeply into the Word,” Byers explained. “I’ve read the Bible before, a couple of times cover to cover. Some things stuck with me and some things didn’t, but it was time for me to really get to know God.”

He said that Psalms 117 and 118 along with Matthew 6 have been great bedrocks in the rebuilding of his faith.

Muslim Brotherhood Attacks Egyptian Christian Church

A group of Islamic extremists attacked a Christian church in Egypt because the church planned to honor 21 Christian martyrs killed by the extremist group ISIS.

“I called the police many times and asked them to come to guard us but they came late and after their arrival they didn’t guard the church. They stopped in the entrance of the village. Even still they allowed the cars of the attackers to enter the village and attack us and the church without any intervention from them to protect us,” Fr. Makar Issa told the International Christian Concern.

Daily News Egypt reported that the attackers are connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, the former political party that is now outlawed in the country as an Islamic terrorist organization.

The Virgin Mary Church is the only Christian church in Al-Our for the village’s 2,500 Christians.

“They shot guns at the church and pelted the church with stones and blocks,” Fr. Issa said.

“They smashed the sign of the church, destroying the ground of the church yard and breaking the widows of the service buildings of the church. They also burned a car that was parked in the front of the church.”

 

Small Tsunami Generated After Pacific Earthquake

A huge earthquake off the coast of Papua New Guinea generated a small tsunami.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck around 30 miles southeast of Kokopo at a depth of 40 miles. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned of a potential 3 foot high tsunami but the highest reported wave was 1.5 feet in the harbor of Rabaul.

Rabaul residents say there was no major damage and most of the water flooded parking lots near the beach or seaside. Store owners say that items were knocked off shelves but there was no structural damage.

Residents say the tremor lasted about five minutes and was so intense that residents fled into the streets from fear of building collapse.

Miraculously, officials say there were no reports or deaths or injuries from the massive quake.

Papua New Guinea lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”. Volcanic and earthquake activity is common in the region.

Christian School Wins Battle With Teachers Who Refused To Affirm Faith

A Christian school has won a legal battle with two teachers who sued the school after their contracts were not renewed because they refused to provide proof they were Christians.

Little Oaks Elementary Schhol, owned by Calvary Chapel of Thousand Oaks, California, requires all teachers to complete a form that affirms their faith in Christ as part of their teacher contracts.  Two teachers, Lynda Serrano and Mary Ellen Guevara, refused to submit the document.

The document requires among other things a pastor attesting to their church attendance and their Christians beliefs.

The women claimed they were being discriminated against because they refused to sign the papers.

Ventura County Superior Court Judge Henry Walsh sided with the school saying that the teachers served in a ministerial capacity when they were working within the school.  That meant the school can require proof of faith as a condition of employment.

“We are grateful that this Court has chosen to protect the liberty of Little Oaks School,” commented attorney James Long in a press release on Wednesday. “It only makes sense that a Christian school has the constitutional right to require that its teachers provide a reference from a pastor.”

 

New York Senate Expected To Block Abortion Expansion

Republicans in the New York State Senate are expected to block a bill from the state Assembly that would expand abortion into the third trimester.

The bill, AB6221, was approved by the Assembly on Tuesday 94-49.

“The state shall not deny a woman’s right to obtain an abortion as established by the United States Supreme Court in the decision Roe v. Wade,” the bill reads. “Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, New York protects a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy within 24 weeks from commencement of her pregnancy, or when necessary to protect a woman’s life or health as determined by a licensed physician.”

The bill had been part of a “women’s equality” bill but was separated into a stand-alone bill.

The head of New York State Right to Life told LifeNews that the bill shows the power of the abortion lobby in the state.

“Expanding cruel and brutal third-trimester abortions has long been a goal of the anti-life lobby who never met an abortion they didn’t like,” Lori Kehoe, New York State Right to Life executive director, told LifeNews. “With no regard for the fully developed unborn baby who is violently dismembered, or otherwise killed, the New York State Assembly once again put the abortion lobby above New York State women and their children.”