A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump’s tax reform framework could raise GDP by as much as 5 percent and wages by as much as 7 percent, according to a new study from Boston University economists.

“We find that, depending on the year considered, the new Republican tax plan raises GDP by between 3 and 5 percent and real wages by between 4 and 7 percent,” the economists explain. “This translates into roughly $3,500 annually more annual real take-home pay for the average American household.”

Economists believe this growth can happen due to the plan’s aim to reduce the marginal effective corporate tax rate from 34.6 percent to 18.6 percent, which they believe will grow the capital stock by 12 to 20 percent. [ Source: Washington Free Beacon (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The Knesset on Monday opened its winter session with an ambitious and often controversial agenda, ranging from a bid to clip the High Court of Justice’s wings to anchoring the state’s Jewish character in the country’s constitutional Basic Laws.

The packed legislative line-up set out by ministers and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the parliament’s three-month break also included support for expanding Jerusalem’s municipal borders to absorb surrounding settlements; rewriting laws on ultra-Orthodox conscription and illegal migration to bypass judgments by the twin High Court and Supreme Courts; and passing the 2019 budget, to boot.

In the shadow of the corruption probes into Netanyahu, and with his wife Sara expected to be indicted any day for allegedly misusing public funds, Likud lawmakers were closing ranks around Netanyahu, with little public criticism of the premier and even a proposal (currently facing objections by the coalition Kulanu party) seeking to offer incumbent premiers immunity from prosecution. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The UK government objected to the term “pregnant woman” in a United Nations treaty, claiming the term “excludes” transgender people who give birth and should be replaced with “pregnant people,” reports said Sunday.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) voiced their opposition to the term in a statement regarding the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that asserts a “pregnant woman” must be protected and not subjected to the death penalty, The Sunday Times reported.

In a proposed amendment, the government said the term “pregnant woman” should be substituted with “pregnant people” because otherwise it may “exclude transgender people who have given birth.” [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – At least 16 Egyptian policemen were killed in clashes with militants on Friday as the government struggles to maintain security while it undertakes economic measures aimed at creating jobs and boosting growth.

Another 13 police personnel were injured when a force raiding a militant hideout in the desert southwest of Giza was attacked with heavy weaponry, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Saturday. One policeman is still missing and the clashes resulted in the death and injury of 15 militants, it said. Earlier reports, including from Saudi-owned Al Arabiya and local Egyptian news outlets, had put the death toll at over 50 police personnel.

The ministry said forces are still searching and sweeping the area after the hours-long clashes. [ Source: Bloomberg (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Its most recent misstep occurred this week when its social media team tweeted this misleading headline: “Fact check: No, the Clintons were not paid millions by Russia.”

.@foxandfriends "Russia sent millions to Clinton Foundation"

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 19, 2017

He is not wrong, and the Newsweek article acknowledges as much.

It acknowledges that former President Bill Clinton received a generous $500,000 speaking fee in 2010 from a Kremlin-linked bank with ties to Uranium One, a Canadian uranium company that had mines in the U.S. The Newsweek article also acknowledges a separate New York Times report that showed Uranium One’s chairman donated approximately $2.35 million to the Clinton Foundation in four separate installments as his company was being acquired by a Russian nuclear energy firm called Rosatom. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Churches in northern Algeria continue to clash with the authorities over permission to hold services in non-religious buildings.

Authorities in Tizi Ouzou province – 100km east of the capital, Algiers – have said a 2006 law that regulates non-Muslim worship is breached by churches meeting in houses meant only for accommodation or commercial purposes.

But the churches have cited the 2016 constitution, which states that religious freedom is guaranteed if in compliance with the law. They have said that they are complying with the law because of their formal affiliation with the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA), which has been officially recognised by the government since 1974 and is accredited with both the ministry of the interior and the local government. [ Source: World Watch Monitor (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – An Azerbaijani man fined for leading a “house church” without state permission has not been treated fairly during his appeal against the fine, a local source has told World Watch Monitor.

The source, who wishes to remain anonymous, said there have been “multiple violations of law and process” against Hamid Shabanov.

Shabanov and another church member, Mehman Agamammadov, were each ordered to pay a fine of 1,500 manats (900 US dollars) for leading worship services without state permission following a police raid in November 2016 on Shabanov’s house in Aliabad, in the south of the country.

Shabanov was found guilty at a hearing in January and several appeals were rejected. [ Source: World Watch Monitor (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Thousands of Hamas activists and supporters took to the streets of Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza on Sunday night to rally against Israel and praise the terrorist ramming attack in Jerusalem which killed four Israelis.

Earlier on Sunday, a Palestinian rammed his truck into a group of Israeli soldiers on a popular promenade in Jerusalem, killing four of them in an attack which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said had likely been inspired by Islamic State.

Chanting anti-Israeli slogans the protesters marched to the rally where sweets were handed out in celebration. [ Source: Jerusalem Post (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Federal taxpayer funding generally isn’t allowed to be spent on abortions, but Republicans say they have spotted a loophole in which tax-free municipal bonds have been used to put federal cash on the line in order to help build abortion clinics — including Planned Parenthood’s headquarters in New York.

Rep. Robert Pittenger, North Carolina Republican, will introduce legislation this week aimed at stopping what he called “abortion bonds.” He said it’s time to make the law agree with the principle that taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook in any way for the procedure.

“We’re utilizing the federal government to facilitate the development of these abortion clinics through the involvement of the American taxpayer, and they don’t want that,” Mr. Pittenger said. [ Source (Read More…) ]