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First African American Billionaire Says U.S. Economy 'Strong' Under President Trump
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Tuesday, April 10, 2018
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Will Maule (Apr 10, 2018)
"You have to take encouragement from what's happening in the labor force and the job market. When you look at African American unemployment, in over 50 years since the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been keeping the numbers, you've never had two things: African American unemployment this low and the spread between unemployment among whites and African Americans narrowing." -Robert L. Johnson
 [Faithwire.com] Robert L. Johnson, America's first black billionaire and founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), has made an extraordinary appearance on CNBC, where he espoused positivity toward the economic situation in America, despite being grilled about his amicable attitude towards the Trump administration. (Image: Robert L. Johnson/YouTube/CNBC/via Faithwire.com)
"Something is going right," said Johnson of the economic situation under President Trump. "I believe the economy is on a strong growth path." The owner and chairman of Bethesda-based asset management firm RLJ Companies has a current net worth of around $600 million and has been a longtime champion of African American's and their financial wellbeing.
"The unemployment for African Americans is the lowest it has ever been in history," said Johnson, who became America's first black billionaire.
According to the Washington Post, Black unemployment fell to 6.8 percent in December, before rising and dipping again to 6.9 percent in March.
While the economic situation is good, Johnson lamented the desperate political situation, urging parties to join forces for the socio-economic advancement of the black population...
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Cathy Burke (Apr 10, 2018)
"We're on the edge of a dangerous precipice ... We're beyond showing pictures of dead babies. We're beyond appeals to conscience. We've reached the moment when the world must see justice done." -Nikki Haley
 (New York, NY)—[Newsmax.com] U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Monday condemned the Russia-backed regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad—as well as Moscow and Iran—for a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of mostly women and children in strife-torn Douma. (Photo: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley/credit: Seth Wenig/AP/Newsmax)
In an impassioned speech at the U.N., Haley declared...
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Lindsay Elizabeth (Apr 10, 2018)
Not only is the bishop working to reconstruct homes and churches, but he is also working with local businesses. Qaraqosh is slowly returning to its once lively state as shops in the center open. The civilians can now get their fruit and fresh vegetables, fresh bread, clothes, toys, and bicycles next to teahouses in the center. The city center was recently used for a Palm Sunday ceremony that garnered thousands.
 [Faithwire.com] As Iraqi families return to their homes, after being driven out by ISIS over the past couple of years, they return to mass devastation. (Screengrab: The Church of the Immaculate Conception, which was burned by Islamic State militants, is seen in the town of Qaraqosh, south of Mosul, Iraq, Dec. 23, 2017/REUTERS/Ari Jalal al-Monitor)
Archbishop Yohanna Petros Mouche of the Syriac Catholic Church in Qaraqosh was the first person to return to the city and begin renovations on his home. His home was covered in fresh paint and religious symbols.
"I was the first to repair my house and move back here. We prepared this home and started celebrating religious ceremonies again to encourage people to return with their families. And when they saw it, they came too."
Over 18 months ago, the city of Qaraqosh was liberated from the ISIS regime. Although it was reclaimed then, civilians did not start returning until the schools reopened in October. Archbishop Mouche has been working tirelessly to attract Christians back to their homeland. He wants to resurrect what once was filled with life...
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Sheraz Khan (Apr 10, 2018)
...extremist persecution reached its peak under the Muslim Brotherhood and has been contained to a degree under the authoritarian leadership of President al-Sisi, who has detained thousands of potential dissidents.
 (Cairo, Egypt)—[ASSIST News Service] Release International, a UK based charity, has urged Egypt's re-elected president Abdel Fattah al–Sisi to begin his second term in office by demonstrating a clear commitment to protect Egypt's persecuted Christian minority and safeguarding freedom of religion in the country. (Photo: The aftermath of a bomb blast which struck worshippers gathering to celebrate Palm Sunday at the Mar Girgis Coptic Church in the Nile Delta City of Tanta, north of Cairo, on April 9, 2017/via ANS)
According to a news release, the group stated that Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been confirmed as President of Egypt after a low-turnout election for which there was no effective opposition.
It went on to say that most of al-Sisi's opponents declined to stand in the elections, citing intimidation. It added that a former army chief was arrested after declaring his candidacy.
The charity stated that Egypt has the largest remaining Christian community in the Middle East, despite continuing persecution, which Christians often call "the pressure."
That "pressure," it says, stems from long-term cultural discrimination, affecting the job prospects of Christians, their access to public life and their ability to build and even repair their churches.
The charity said that the harshest persecution has come at the hands of Islamists, who have launched terror attacks on churches, burnt down Christian places of worship, businesses and homes and driven Christians out of Upper Egypt and Sinai.
It said that extremist persecution reached its peak under the Muslim Brotherhood and has been contained to a degree under the authoritarian leadership of President al-Sisi, who has detained thousands of potential dissidents.
"Security for Christians remains precarious in regions beyond Cairo, especially the villages of Upper Egypt, and increasingly Sinai, where Islamic State has a foothold," it said. "In recent years, Upper Egypt has seen an explosion in kidnapping of Christian children for ransom and as a tool of religious cleansing. And religious extremists are targeting Christian girls for kidnapping, forced marriage and conversion."
Release International, which supports persecuted Christians around the world, has reported an epidemic of grooming and forced conversion in Egypt, believed to be funded by religious leaders with cash from Saudi Arabia, said the release.
"This is a deliberate strategy of persecution," it quoted Release Chief Executive Paul Robinson as saying. "All too often the police turn a blind eye to kidnap attacks on Egypt's Christian minority."
"While thousands of Christians have been driven out of countries such as Iraq and Syria, Egypt remains a bastion of the Christian faith in the Middle East, but that enclave is under pressure. Release International is urging President al-Sisi to protect Egypt's Christians, treat them as equal citizens and grant them full religious freedom."
It went on to quote Paul Robinson as saying: "Mr President, Christians should no longer be driven from their homes, their churches must no longer be targeted for shootings, bombings and arson, and their families must be afforded the protection of the state. Please intervene to prevent this epidemic of kidnapping".
It said Release International is working with partners in Egypt to help Christian communities reduce the risk of grooming and kidnapping, and to support victims. Release is helping develop spiritual resilience, tackle the lack of education and respond to the oppression and poverty that lie at the root of the problem in Egypt.
Through its international network of missions UK-based Release International serves persecuted Christians by supporting pastors and Christian prisoners and their families, supplying Christian literature and Bibles, and working for justice, said the news release.
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Michael Brown (Apr 10, 2018)
Thankfully, for the good of Hungary, it is the people of that nation, not the liberal Western media, who have the final vote.
 [CharismaNews.com] If the Huffington Post is to be believed, a bigoted Prime Minister in Hungary is leading the nation in a dangerous, ultra-right direction, to the consternation of the populace. If the election results are to be believed, a courageous Hungarian leader is standing against a sea of political correctness with the support of the populace. I'd say in this case, the Hungarian people have a better sense of reality than does the Huffington Post. (Photo: Hungarian PM Viktor Orban/via DailyNewsHungary.com)
Sunday's elections resulted in a decisive win for Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party. (This will mark Orban's third consecutive term.)
It was also a victory against Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros, who actively supported the opposition liberal (and globalist) candidates. That's why a Breitbart headline proclaimed, "Bloody Nose for Brussels: Landslide Triumph as Anti-Globalist, Anti-Soros Orban Wins Third Term in Hungary."
As stated in a pre-election email from Sándor Németh, pastor of the largest Protestant congregation in Europe, "The Hungarian-born George Soros is trying to influence this election on the side of the liberal and globalist opposition parties—offering them huge financial support and an army of thousands of trained activists. His goal is to overthrow our Prime Minister and the governing party, which is actively protecting Christian culture and churches, our national sovereignty and the values of traditional marriage and family."
Is it any surprise that the Huffington Post had a very different perspective on the elections?
Already in 2015, Ishaan Tharoor, writing in the Washington Post, stated that, "Hungary's Orban invokes Ottoman invasion to justify keeping refugees out."
Yes, "Orban, a right-wing populist, has been one of the most outspoken voices against resettling tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in Europe. He has used this crisis to cast himself as the legionary on the parapets, staring down the alien hordes that threaten to overwhelm European civilization."
Tharoor is referring to Hungary's previous encounter with Islamic foreigners, who took over the nation from 1541-1699. Orban doesn't want to see something like that happen again.
In his own words, "I think we have a right to decide that we do not want a large number of Muslim people in our country. We do not like the consequences of having a large number of Muslim communities that we see in other countries, and I do not see any reason for anyone else to force us to create ways of living together in Hungary that we do not want to see. That is a historical experience for us."
He also noted that, "We shouldn't forget that the people who are coming here grew up in a different religion and represent a completely different culture. Most are not Christian, but Muslim. That is an important question, because Europe and European culture have Christian roots."
Lest this strike you as utterly bigoted, how would a Muslim country like Saudi Arabia respond to the arrival of tens of thousands of Christian refugees who not only wanted to enjoy government benefits but also had no desire to assimilate into Saudi, Islamic culture? Do they have no right to decline such refugees?
And, given the fact that Muhammad is now the number one boy's name in countries like England and Wales, Orban's concerns can be understood. Not surprisingly, he has declared Christianity to be "Europe's last hope," a striking statement for a man who was once an atheist.
On a more pragmatic level, "His policies have been widely credited for turning Hungary's economy around following the 2008 global market crash."
But for Nick Robins-Early, writing one day before the elections in the Huffington Post, things looked very different. A headline announced, "Hungary's Strange And Vicious Election Brings Fears For The Future." Indeed, "As Viktor Orbán looks set for a third consecutive term in power, there is widespread concern about hateful rhetoric and threats to rule of law."
The article continues: "Orbán's leadership can seem like a far-right fever dream in which identity politics and fear of outsiders trumps everything else."
 Even George Soros is portrayed as a victim: "Last year, the government also began a billboard campaign that targeted the 86-year-old American billionaire George Soros, whose Open Society Foundations fund a range of liberal-minded projects and organizations in Eastern Europe. (Photo: George Soros/Reuters/via Charisma News)
"Soros, a Hungarian Jew, immigrated to the United States after World War II. A leading Jewish organization in Hungary asked Orbán to halt the campaign, saying it was a proxy for anti-Semitism―something that the government denies."
So, a radical, far-right, anti-Semitic government is using identity politics to rob needy refugees of a bright and hopeful future. How utterly vicious and cruel. In the words of Soros, Prime Minister Orban is "the leader of a mafia state."
Not only so, but, "Under the guise of legal reform, Orbán has undermined Hungary's judiciary and captured all independent state institutions, said Kim-Lane Scheppele, a professor of political science at Princeton University who previously worked at Hungary's constitutional court."
Worse still, Orban controls the media as well: "Today, Orbán and his allies control much of how Hungarians get their news. When dealing with dissenting voices, Orbán and his spokesman have also aggressively gone after the media at home and abroad."
Others interviewed by the HuffPost supported these serious claims. Shades of 1984!
Pastor Németh gives us a healthier perspective of the reality on the ground: "If Orban and his party come out victorious, then, with strong government support, the battle will continue not only against the Islamisation of our continent, but also against the hatred of Christianity, and against anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in Europe." (For the record, Németh is a staunch supporter of Israel and the Jewish people.)
He adds, "In the past three years, Viktor Orban has boldly stood up for the traditional values of Europe and the protection of all communities which are based on the Judeo-Christian revelation. He has also spoken up on multiple occasions for the need to revitalize these communities."
Interestingly, "He was the only European political leader who made positive comments about Donald Trump during the American presidential election campaign."
Is it any surprise, then, that Orban's policies have drawn such ire from the left?
Thankfully, for the good of Hungary, it is the people of that nation, not the liberal Western media, who have the final vote.
On Sunday, they made their sentiments clear.
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Playing with Holy Fire: A Wake-up Call to the Pentecostal-Charismatic Church. Connect with him on Facebook or Twitter, or YouTube.
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Heather Sells (Apr 10, 2018)
Nolot and other anti-trafficking advocates say the seizure of Backpage, combined with Craigslist taking down its "personals" section and Congress passing the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) last month, heralds a turning point in the fight against trafficking.
 [CBN News] Federal authorities believe the founders of Backpage and five others who worked for the website not only facilitated prostitution by running ads for it but hid their profits as well. (Image: Sex trafficking/via CBN News)
An indictment unsealed on Monday alleges that the classified site helped customers to remain legally viable by editing their ads while still promoting commercial sex. It also charges them with money laundering.
Linda Smith, president of the anti-trafficking organization Shared Hope International, called the charges "deeply satisfying."
The Associated Press was unable to reach attorneys for Michael Lacey and James Larkin, the founders of the website.
The online service has sparked a heated debate in recent days since federal authorities seized Backpage on Friday.
Backpage controversy
Anti-trafficking advocates have rejoiced in the site's demise while some feminists have denounced authorities for shutting it down.
A leftist group, Collective Action for Safe Spaces, characterized the shutdown as an assault on women. It tweeted "the crackdown on Backpage is not about ending trafficking; it's motivated by the patriarchal notion that women should not be free to do what we want with our bodies."
The Women's March said "sex workers rights are women's rights." It called the crackdown "an absolute crisis for sex workers," arguing that sites like Backpage keep them safe by allowing them to screen and verify buyers before meeting.
It's an argument that anti-trafficking advocates reject.
Lisa Thompson, vice president of research and education for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, told CBN News "I don't think there's any such thing as safe prostitution. That's just a complete lie."
Smith has worked with survivors for more than 20 years since starting Shared Hope and says she's never met one who hasn't had an extremely violent encounter with a buyer.
She says feminists who believe that online sites like Backpage help to decrease violence are misguided. Whatever screening can be done beforehand, she says, means nothing once the buyer meets the person they've bought. "The violence," says Smith," is when they get into the room. They don't know what that buyer is going to want until they get into the room."
Benjamin Nolot, an anti-trafficking advocate who founded Exodus Cry, says that feminists speaking out in support of Backpage reveals much about where the movement is headed. "It shows how deeply the Women's March has been hijacked and co-opted by the pro sex workers movement," he told CBN News.
Thompson believes that elites in the movement have become disconnected with the grass roots. The pushback has been clear on social media with one woman posting "if this is women's rights, I don't want to be a woman."
Turning Point for Trafficking?
Nolot and other anti-trafficking advocates say the seizure of Backpage, combined with Craigslist taking down its "personals" section and Congress passing the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) last month, heralds a turning point in the fight against trafficking.
"What this has essentially done is broken the back of sex trafficking in America," said Nolot, "it's a pretty powerful thing to happen."
President Trump is expected to sign the SESTA bill on Wednesday. It will remove a provision in the Communications Decency Act (CDA) that was intented to protect companies that acted in good faith to protect children from exploitation.
In recent years, however, many tech companies have used the law as a shield to give them blanket immunity for any activity on their websites.
Now, anti-trafficking advocates expect some trafficking survivors will begin to go after these companies and remind them that there can be a cost to pay for encouraging or facilitating trafficking activity.
"I believe it will bring down the market for a period of time," said Smith, "I believe that some will try to move overseas. We will have to fight it."
She doesn't, however, predict that large numbers of survivors will face off against these companies in court. "It's so difficult to go to court and have your life peeled back," she said.
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