A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – Vice President Mike Pence was all set to hold a history-making meeting with North Korean officials during the Winter Olympics in South Korea, but Kim Jong Un’s government canceled at the last minute, the Trump administration said Tuesday.

A potential meeting between Pence and the North Koreans had been the most highly anticipated moment of the vice president’s visit to Pyeongchang, South Korea, where he led the U.S delegation to the opening ceremonies. Ahead of Pence’s visit, Trump officials had insisted they’d requested no meeting with North Korea, but notably left open the possibility one could occur.

There was no indication that a meeting had indeed been planned — and then canceled on short notice — until Tuesday, more than a week after Pence returned to the United States. The State Department said that Pence had been “ready to take this opportunity” but would have used it to insist Pyongyang abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. [ Source: CBN News (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Democrats are struggling to cope with the rising popularity of the Republican tax law, less than nine months until the midterm elections.

Democrats received a wake-up call of sorts earlier this week when Priorities USA, a top Democratic super PAC, released a memo calling on Democrats to message more consistently against the tax law. The law’s standing has increased in the polls as GOP groups pitch the tax cuts to voters as a solid Republican accomplishment.

According to the memo, Trump’s marks on both the economy and taxes have grown by double-digits over the past few months. Another poll released this week shows Republicans leading in the generic congressional ballot for the first time, largely due to the rise in popularity of the tax bill, forcing Democrats to reexamine their messaging in the coming months. [ Source: Washington Examiner (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Democrats are struggling to cope with the rising popularity of the Republican tax law, less than nine months until the midterm elections.

Democrats received a wake-up call of sorts earlier this week when Priorities USA, a top Democratic super PAC, released a memo calling on Democrats to message more consistently against the tax law. The law’s standing has increased in the polls as GOP groups pitch the tax cuts to voters as a solid Republican accomplishment.

According to the memo, Trump’s marks on both the economy and taxes have grown by double-digits over the past few months. Another poll released this week shows Republicans leading in the generic congressional ballot for the first time, largely due to the rise in popularity of the tax bill, forcing Democrats to reexamine their messaging in the coming months. [ Source: Washington Examiner (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Joy Behar’s mocking of Christianity as a mental illness isn’t going away as an issue.

According to the Media Research Center watchdog group, more than 25,000 people had called ABC by early Monday morning to complain about a segment on “The View” in which the comedian specifically said Vice President Mike Pence suffers from the delusions of prayer.

“It’s one thing to talk to Jesus. It’s another thing when Jesus talks to you… that’s called mental illness … hearing voices,” she said. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – President Trump announced Tuesday he is moving to ban “bump stock” accessories for semi-automatic firearms, and that he’s considering other gun measures in the wake of last week’s mass school shooting in Florida.

Mr. Trump signed a directive ordering Attorney General Jeff Sessions to craft regulations banning “bump stocks” and other devices that turn semi-automatic firearms into automatic weapons. The president said the new federal guidelines will be finalized “very soon.”

“We can do more to protect our children. We must do more to protect our children,” Mr. Trump said at a White House event honoring law-enforcement officials with the Medal of Valor. “We’re working very hard to make sense of these events.” [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The Trump administration moved Tuesday to give consumers another workaround to Obamacare, proposing to let health insurers sell full-year plans that don’t comply with the 2010 law’s strict coverage guidelines.

Under Obama-era rules, short-term plans can last only three months, but the Health and Human Services Department said it wants to allow plans up to a year.

People priced out of Obamacare’s exchanges would be enticed back into the market by affordable options, administration officials said — though critics said the move could deliver another serious blow to the Affordable Care Act by siphoning off current customers willing to pay less for skimpier plans. [ Source:
Washington Times (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to hear a challenge to California’s 10-day waiting period for people seeking to buy a firearm.

The refusal left in place a ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that called the mandatory waiting period a “reasonable safety precaution.”

The high court’s decision comes amid a national debate on gun control after a shooting at a South Florida high school killed 17 students and teachers last week. [ Source: UPI (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The Department of Justice is creating a task force to evaluate cybersecurity issues, in particular efforts to undermine U.S. elections, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday.

“The Internet has given us amazing new tools that help us work, communicate, and participate in our economy, but these tools can also be exploited by criminals, terrorists, and enemy governments,” the attorney general said. “At the Department of Justice, we take these threats seriously. That is why today I am ordering the creation of a Cyber-Digital Task Force to advise me on the most effective ways that this Department can confront these threats and keep the American people safe.”

Sessions said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would appoint a department official to head up the task force. Representatives from multiple Justice Department offices were expected to take part, including from the Criminal Division, the National Security Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service. [ Source: UPI (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The final version of a landmark deal aimed at cutting trade barriers in some of the Asia-Pacific’s fastest-growing economies was released on Wednesday, signaling the pact was a step closer to reality even without its star member the United States.

More than 20 provisions have been suspended or changed in the final text ahead of the deal’s official signing in March, including rules around intellectual property originally included at the behest of Washington.

The original 12-member deal was thrown into limbo early last year when U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement to prioritize protecting U.S. jobs. [ Source: Globe and Mail (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The final version of a landmark deal aimed at cutting trade barriers in some of the Asia-Pacific’s fastest-growing economies was released on Wednesday, signaling the pact was a step closer to reality even without its star member the United States.

More than 20 provisions have been suspended or changed in the final text ahead of the deal’s official signing in March, including rules around intellectual property originally included at the behest of Washington.

The original 12-member deal was thrown into limbo early last year when U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement to prioritize protecting U.S. jobs. [ Source: Globe and Mail (Read More…) ]