A WordPress Blog-THE CHURCH MILITANT Ephesians 5:11-"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them". This Christian News Blog maintains a one stop resource of current news and reports of its own related to church, moral, spiritual, and related political issues, plus articles, and postings from other online discernment ministries, and media which share the aims to obey the biblical commands to shed light on and refute error, heresy, apostasy, cults, and spiritual abuse. ALL CONTENT FROM HTTPS://RATHEREXPOSETHEM.BLOGSPOT.COM MOVED TO THIS NEW BLOG, MAY 2020
Marco Rubio arrives in Saudi Arabia for Russia peace talks
Watch live as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Saudi Arabia. It comes after Rubio met with top Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sunday as he started a tour of the Middle East which will likely see him face pushback from Arab leaders over Donald Trump's plan to "take over" and redevelop Gaza.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to lead a delegation of U.S. officials to Saudi Arabia this week for peace talks with Russian officials to seek an end to the war in Ukraine. White House national security advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff are also expected to take part in discussions. According to a report from Axios, the meetings are slated to begin Tuesday. This comes after last week's call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in which Trump said they “agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately.” National security analyst Hal Kempfer joins LiveNOW's Austin Westfall to discuss.
Doug Collins, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, is sworn in during his Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee confirmation hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:42 PM – Tuesday, February 4, 2025
The Senate has confirmed GOP Representative Doug Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
On Tuesday, Collins was confirmed following a 77-to-23 vote — one of the widest bipartisan votes of any Trump Cabinet nominee so far.
Collins served in Congress from 2013 to 2021.
Last month, he also passed through the Veterans’ Affairs Committee on a wide bipartisan vote, with only Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) voting against him.
When accepting his nomination last November, Collins vowed to “fight tirelessly to streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption, and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they’ve earned.”
Collins will now lead an agency plagued by previous budget cuts, millions paid to unqualified executives, and complaints from a large majority of veterans regarding excessive wait times for care, which occurred under the Biden administration.
It will also be his first time running an agency as large as the Department of Veterans Affairs. It has around 400,000 employees and 1,300 health facilities.
“I do not come into this with rose-colored glasses. This is a large undertaking that I feel called to be at,” Collins explained. “When a veteran has to call a congressman or senator’s office to get the care they’ve already earned, it’s a mark of failure.”
“I’m gonna take care of the veterans. That means we’re not going to balance budgets on the backs of veterans benefits,” he continued.
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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is sworn in during his Senate Energy and Natural Resources confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
5:35 PM – Monday, February 3, 2025
The Senate has confirmed Chris Wright, the CEO of Liberty Energy, to lead the Energy Department.
On Monday, Wright was confirmed following a 59-38 vote — making him the new energy secretary.
Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) as well as Independent Senator Angus King (I-Maine) voted with Republicans to confirm him.
“He’s a scientist who has invested his life around energy. He is indeed an unrestrained enthusiast for fossil fuels in almost every regard, but he studied nuclear,” Hickenlooper said during Wright’s confirmation hearing. “His first few years of working were in solar. He has experience in wind.”
Wright is set to run a department that oversees energy research and loans, as well as the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal.
Wright’s supporters cheered his confirmation, with Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, expressing that his leadership will support America’s future.
“I am confident that we can reverse the irresponsible policies of the Biden administration and prioritize affordable and reliable energy. Under his leadership, the DOE will once again support the American worker, the American family, and the American future,” said Lee.
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Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth attends the Commander and Chief Inaugural Ball on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump will attend some of the inaugural balls after taking the oath as the 47th president. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
3:10 PM – Thursday, January 23, 2025
The Senate has voted to advance the nomination of Pete Hegseth as the new secretary of the Department of Defense.
On Thursday, the Senate advanced Hegseth’s nomination, despite objections from Democrats and some Republicans who have questioned his ability to lead the military.
One Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), posted on X in regard to the Senate’s advancement, asserting that she would not be voting in favor of confirming Hegseth.
“After thorough evaluation, I must conclude that I cannot in good conscience support his nomination for Secretary of Defense,” Murkowski said in a statement on Thursday. “I did not make this decision lightly; I take my constitutional responsibility to provide advice and consent with the utmost seriousness.”
Murkowski continued, attempting to raise concerns about Hegseth’s “lack of experience” in comparable executive positions, his previous “remarks on women” in combat, and the anonymous accusations of alcohol abuse and alleged sexual misconduct lodged against him.
Nevertheless, Hegseth has adamantly refuted these claims on numerous occasions.
According to Hegseth’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore, evidence gathered by a California DA’s office purportedly includes proof that the anonymous female accuser had filed false claims of sexual assault against another man in a different jurisdiction. Parlatore has been working to have these documents released to the public.
A spokeswoman for the Trump administration declared on Thursday that the “[22-page police report] corroborates what Mr. Hegseth’s attorneys have said all along. The incident was fully investigated and no charges were filed because police found the allegations to be false.” Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni also admitted that her office could not file charges since it didn’t have “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Despite this, Murkowski continued to explain her position.
“Although he has recently revised his statements on women in combat since being nominated, I remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join,” Murkowski said. “Women have served our nation with distinction, overcoming immense obstacles to excel in combat and leadership roles, and they deserve to know that their leader honors and values their commitment to our nation.
“While the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to quiet my concerns, the past behaviors Mr. Hegseth has admitted to, including infidelity on multiple occasions, demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces,” Murkowski added. “Men and women in uniform are held accountable for such actions, and they deserve leaders who uphold those same standards.”
Since Mr. Hegseth’s nomination last November, I have met with him and carefully reviewed his writings, various reports, and other pertinent materials. I closely followed his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee and gathered substantial feedback from organizations,…
Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) similarly voted not to confirm Hegseth — due to the allegations against him.
The 51-49 vote to end debate on Hegseth’s nomination sets the stage for a final confirmation vote on Friday, when he is anticipated to secure the majority support he needs to join Trump’s Cabinet.
The Armed Services panel voted along party lines, 14-13, to waive the seven-day rule and advance the nominee.
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OAN Staff Abril Elfi 10:30 AM – Saturday, January 18, 2025
Over 30 migrants, most of them Chinese, have been found inside a U-Haul truck in Florida following a report of an alleged abduction.
Coral Gables Police Chief Edward James Hudak Jr. stated that the group of migrants were discovered after a security guard for a homeowners association in Coral Gables reported seeing an abduction around 9:35 a.m.
According to Hudak, the guard had reported seeing a U-Haul and a Toyota involved in the incident and immediately reported it to a patrol officer who then issued a be on the lookout alert for the vehicles.
Police stated that officers stopped the vehicle and the woman who had been allegedly abducted was taken from the Toyota. When they began investigating the U-Haul truck, they found 16 Chinese females, 15 Chinese males, one Cuban male and one Ecuadorian female.
“Officers opened the back of the truck, which revealed 21 predominantly Chinese nationals,” Hudak said.
In addition to the migrants in the U-Haul truck, authorities found a Cuban man, a Brazilian woman and a man from Ecuador in the Toyota.
“We do believe these individuals were brought here by the water,” the chief said. “They were probably dropped off, we’re assuming somewhere around the southern end of Coral Gables and approached on foot to the van where they were loaded into.”
According to authorities, the migrants were “tired” but in good health when the Coral Gables Fire Department arrived to provide medical attention.
BREAKING: Cops in Coral Gables, Florida, busted a large smuggling operation consisting of over two dozen Chinese migrants in a single U-Haul.
A local security guard alerted law enforcement after witnessing a suspicious amount of people getting into the U-Haul. Officers came… pic.twitter.com/W2WBzTB0MI
“Today’s event is a prime example of why FDLE is supportive of the governor’s proposed special session to tackle illegal immigration immediately,” Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said. “The actions of law enforcement are an integral part of preventing these smuggling ventures that happen too frequently on our southern border.”
The migrants were then handed over to the U.S. Border Patrol, and four others were taken into police custody in relation to the incident.
“This started off as a crime,” Hudak said. “The police department responded to that alleged crime by a very alert citizen. By that, I mean I think we’ve saved some lives.”
Authorities stated they have not identified the boat on which the migrants were transported, although they have intercepted a number of boats while patrolling the waterways close to the city.
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President Donald Trump makes shakes hands with White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council Executive Director Scott Turner during the inaugural meeting of the council in the Cabinet Room at the White House April 04, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:32 PM – Saturday, November 23, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump has named former NFL player Scott Turner to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in his incoming administration.
On Friday, Trump released a statement announcing his new addition.
“Scott is an NFL Veteran, who, during my First Term, served as the First Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC), helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities,” Trump said in his announcement.
If approved by the Senate, Turner would oversee the agency responsible for enforcing housing laws, managing programs to address housing needs, providing rental subsidies for low-income families, and addressing cases of housing discrimination.
According to Politico, Turner is expected to carry out promises long laid out along the Trump campaign trail, including reversing Biden-era fair housing policies and overhauling homelessness programs.
During Trump’s first term, Turner played a pivotal role in leading the WHORC initiative, which was established in 2018 to “encourage public and private investment” in thousands of low-income census tracts designated as “opportunity zones” under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Following Trump’s defeat to Biden in 2020, Turner became the chair of the Center for Education Opportunity at the America First Policy Institute, an organization closely linked to Trump’s transition team.
Turner also served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017.
Before his political career, Turner played nine seasons in the NFL as a cornerback for the Washington Commanders, San Diego Chargers, and Denver Broncos.
Turner thanked the president-elect, stating that he is “thrilled to continue the outstanding work we began in your last administration at HUD with an incredible team.”
Thank you, Mr. President. I am thrilled to continue the outstanding work we began in your last administration at HUD with an incredible team. I am deeply humbled by your confidence in my nomination.
I would also like to express the sincerest of gratitude to my mentor, Secretary… pic.twitter.com/X2ZJLSrfGI
Republican Presidential nominee former President Donald J. Trump holds his first public campaign rally with his running mate, Vice Presidential nominee U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Abril Elfi 3:08 PM – Saturday, November 16, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump has announced he has selected CEO of Liberty Energy Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy in his new administration.
On Saturday, Trump released a statement announcing Wright’s position in his new cabinet.
“I am thrilled to announce that Chris Wright will be joining my Administration as both United States Secretary of Energy, and Member of the newly formed Council of National Energy,” Trump said. “Wright has been a leading technologist and entrepreneur in Energy.”
“He has worked in Nuclear, Solar, Geothermal, and Oil and Gas,” Trump’s statement read. “Most significantly, Chris was one of the pioneers who helped launch the American Shale Revolution that fueled American Energy Independence, and transformed the Global Energy Markets and Geopolitics.”
BREAKING: President-elect Donald Trump has selected fossil fuel magnate Chris Wright as his Secretary of Energy pic.twitter.com/LgMhHdQ0f4
According to Liberty Energy’s website, Wright earned a degree in mechanical engineering from MIT. He also pursued graduate studies in electrical engineering at both the University of California, Berkeley, and MIT.
“[Wright] is a self-described tech nerd turned entrepreneur and a dedicated humanitarian on a mission to better human lives by expanding access to abundant, affordable, and reliable energy,” the company’s website reads.
BREAKING: President-elect Donald J. Trump names Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright as Secretary of Energy.
Nothing triggers the climate cult faster than a man who speaks the truth about fossil fuels (watch both clips).
The announcement comes as Trump’s campaign focused on energy independence and increasing oil and gas production.
During his campaign, Trump promised to expand fracking and end the pause on liquefied natural gas exports, highlighting a significant departure from the policies of his predecessor.
The president-elect has pledged to use his second White House term to withdraw from the Paris climate accord once again, roll back stringent emissions standards for vehicles and power plants, and boost U.S. oil and gas production, including through expanded fracking.
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(L) Elon Musk speaks during a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) / (R) Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
OAN’s Sophia Flores
5:13 PM – Tuesday, November 12, 2024
45th and 47th U.S. President Donald J. Trump has announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
On Tuesday, Trump made the announcement in an official statement.
The president-elect explained that the two will “work together to liberate our Economy and make the U.S. Government accountable to ‘WE THE PEOPLE.’”
Vivek and Musk have been strong supporters of Trump throughout his campaign.
Musk continuously worked to combat disinformation perpetrated by the Kamala Harris campaign on his social media platform, X.
Harris’ campaign often lied about Trump’s views on abortion, in addition to lies related to the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025,” falsely claiming that Trump was personally involved. Musk endorsed Trump after he survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Soon after he dropped out of the GOP nominee race, Ramaswamy voiced his backing and support for Trump. Ramaswamy also vehemently criticized Harris for her policies related to both illegal immigration and the economy.
Trump previously commended the young Indian-American entrepreneur, calling him “smart as hell.”
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
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On Wednesday's episode of "Greg Kelly Reports," Greg torched Vice President Kamala Harris for her actions on the border, scolding former President George W. Bush for possibly endorsing Kamala Harris for President, and more on NEWSMAX.
Megyn Kelly is joined by Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri to discuss the Secret Service director finally resigning after her terrible appearance before Congress, the failure of law enforcement at the Trump rally causing the attempted assassination, the blame game we're seeing now, the lack of accountability and transparency, and more.
