A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – The Internal Revenue Service was involved in a $5 million push to pressure Americans to buy Obamacare coverage, according to documents obtained from the watchdog group Judicial Watch.

Under former president Obama, the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House’s Behavioral Sciences Team created a $5 million program to target and pressure those who refused Obamacare and either decided to pay a penalty instead or were exempt from being forced to purchase coverage.

“Attached are drafts of the letters that IRS will send to selected taxpayers who paid a penalty for failure to have coverage or who claimed an exemption from the coverage requirement for tax year 2015,” said Janet McCubbin, director of individual taxation at the IRS. “As you know, we are planning to send several different versions of the letter to see which types of messages work best.” [ Source: Washington Free Beacon (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Russia’s military says its airstrikes in eastern Syria this week killed more than 300 Islamic State militants.

Russia has been a major backer of Syria’s President Bashar Assad whose government troops have been advancing in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour against IS under the cover of Russian airstrikes.

Meanwhile, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are also marching against the Islamic State group, backed by the U.S.-led coalition. [ Source: Fox News (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – A gunman using rapid-fire weapons from the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas hotel rained down bullets on an outdoor country music festival, killing at least 59 people and injuring more than 500 before taking his own life in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, officials said Monday.

The sustained hail of bullets from the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino into a crowd of 22,000 people erupted late Sunday night, causing panic as the concert venue was turned into a killing ground. At least 527 people were injured, many by gunfire and others who were trampled while trying to flee as police scrambled to locate the shooter.

Police on Monday identified the gunman as Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, who lived in a retirement community in Mesquite, Nevada. Authorities believe he acted alone, and they did not know his motive.

Federal officials said there was no evidence of a connection to extremist groups, although the Islamic State claimed credit for the attack. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Las Vegas churches are rallying together Monday night to pray for the victims of the shooting that killed at least 59 people at a country concert Sunday.

Pastor Benny Perez of The Church LV spearheaded the city-wide prayer event that drew thousands of people online and in house.

“We want as The Church LV to gather together to pray for our city, our nation, pray for those who have lost loved ones,” Perez says in a video on the church’s Facebook page. “Jesus is the only one who can bring hope and healing, literally, to this city through his church — The Church LV and all the other churches in Las Vegas Valley.” [ Source: CBN News (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Frightening attacks on U.S. personnel in Havana struck the heart of America’s spy network in Cuba, with intelligence operatives among the first and most severely affected victims, The Associated Press has learned.

It wasn’t until U.S. spies, posted to the embassy under diplomatic cover, reported hearing bizarre sounds and experiencing even stranger physical effects that the United States realized something was wrong, individuals familiar with the situation said.

While the attacks started within days of President Donald Trump’s surprise election in November, the precise timeline remains unclear, including whether intelligence officers were the first victims hit or merely the first victims to report it. The U.S. has called the situation “ongoing.” [ Source: Fox News (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump is set to make his first visit to Puerto Rico on Tuesday, two weeks after Hurricane Maria devastated the U.S. territory, and is likely to face more criticism of his handling of the disaster as the vast majority of inhabitants lack power and phone service and are scrambling for food, clean water and fuel.

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz led the attack on the administration’s response on Friday, criticizing an official’s description of relief efforts as a “good news story” and urging Trump to act more decisively. Trump fired back at Cruz on Twitter, accusing her of “poor leadership.”

It is not clear if the two will meet during Trump’s visit. [ Source: Reuters (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Israel Aerospace Industries, the country’s largest defense contractor, unveiled on Monday an unmanned helicopter that could be used to evacuate wounded soldiers from the battlefield.

The aircraft, dubbed the Air Hopper, has already carried out a test demonstration for the Israeli military, but company officials would not say when it would be ready for market.

State-owned IAI has already developed drones and guided missile systems that are used by militaries around the world. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that he would not be prepared to accept Hamas keeping its armed forces in Gaza like Hezbollah does in Lebanon and demanded “full control” of the Strip, including over the border, security and all the ministries.

His statements came as his Fatah party and the Hamas terror group move ahead with attempts to form a unity government. The Palestinian cabinet met in Gaza on Tuesday for the first time since 2014 in a further step toward the Palestinian Authority taking control of the territory.

“I won’t accept the reproduction of the Hezbollah experience in Lebanon” in Gaza, Abbas said in an interview late Monday with the Egyptian news station CBC, pointing to an early point of conflict with Hamas, which has vowed not to turn in its arms. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Five people are in custody after an apparent failed bomb attempt in an upmarket district of Paris.

Police were alerted by a member of the public about suspicious activity in a building in the Porte d’Auteuil neighbourhood on Saturday.

Authorities later found and deactivated an explosive device.

France’s interior minister Gerard Collomb said one of those arrested was on a police terror watchlist and had been “radicalised”. [ Source: Sky News (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – A federal judge has ruled against a Florida county government’s prayer policy that bans atheist invocations from its public meetings.

In a decision released Saturday in Williamson v. Brevard County, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida concluded that the Brevard County Board of Commissioners was unlawfully limiting who could give invocations at their meetings.

“For a governmental entity to require, or attempt to require, ‘religious’ content in invocations is, in effect (or, at best, but a step removed from) that entity composing prayers for public consumption or censoring the content of prayer,” concluded the court. [ Source: Christian Post (Read More…) ]