A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation declaring Sunday, Sept. 3, a national day of prayer to think of those who are facing the devastation from Hurricane Harvey.

“We invite all Americans to join us as we continue to pray for those who have lost family members and friends and those who are suffering from this great crisis,” Trump said in the Oval Office as he signed the order.

His proclamation came one day after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R.) signed an order designating Sunday as a day of prayer in Texas, which has been devastated by Harvey in recent days. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Thousands of Dreamers have used a loophole in federal law to get on a full pathway to citizenship, top congressional Republicans revealed Friday, citing government data withheld by the Obama administration but provided by the Trump administration.

The Dreamers were all part of DACA, the legally questionable amnesty program that’s under scrutiny right now as President Trump decides whether to scrap the Obama-era amnesty.

The House and Senate Judiciary Committees revealed that more than 45,000 DACA recipients were approved for “advance parole,” which is permission to leave and reenter the U.S. despite not being in permanent legal status here.

But under a quirk of law, those granted advance parole can then ask to adjust their status and gain legal residence — and eventually citizenship — as long as they have a qualifying relationship. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – A massive brush fire, called the largest ever in terms of acreage to burn within Los Angeles’ city limits, had claimed one home Saturday and was threatening others, authorities said.

Hundreds of firefighters, backed by water-dropping planes and helicopters, were battling the flames in triple-digit temperatures. The fire had blackened 5,000 acres by 10 a.m. PT Saturday and was moving toward Burbank, where much of southern California’s entertainment industry is situated.

Evacuations had been ordered in affected neighborhoods. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Turkey and Russia are inching toward an accord for the first major Turkish weapons purchase from Moscow, troubling Ankara’s allies in NATO even though the deal may not ultimately materialize.

According to Turkish and Russian officials, all preparations have been made for the purchase of a sophisticated S-400 missile defense system, Ankara’s most significant accord with a non-NATO supplier.

But despite confident proclamations, the deal has yet to be officially inked. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Israel’s intensive diplomatic campaign in recent weeks, which included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, trips by senior Israeli defense officials to the United States and more, comes on the heels of updated situation assessments within the defense establishment suggesting that if nothing is done, the weapon manufacturing facilities Iran is building in Syria and Lebanon, Israel’s neighbors to the north, will become operational in the foreseeable future.

Behind closed doors, senior defense officials said that from Israel’s perspective, Iran’s weapons factories and deepening foothold in Syria “cross a red line.”

This week, Netanyahu told U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres that Iran was building sites to produce precision-guided missiles, both in Lebanon and Syria, and stressed that Israel could not come to terms with such a reality. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – North Korea said it set off a hydrogen bomb Sunday in its sixth nuclear test, which judging by the earthquake it set off appeared to be its most powerful explosion yet.

South Korea’s weather agency estimated the nuclear blast yield of the presumed test was between 50 and 60 kilotons, or five to six times stronger than North Korea’s fifth test in September 2016. That would mark a significant step forward in the North’s quest for a viable nuclear missile capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

On North Korean television, a newsreader called the test a “complete success” and said the “two-stage thermonuclear weapon” had “unprecedented” strength. Hours earlier, Pyongyang claimed its leader had inspected a hydrogen bomb meant for a new intercontinental ballistic missile. [ Source (Read More…) ]