A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – A staggering number of American homeowners remain under water on their mortgages a decade after the housing bubble burst.

Almost 4.5 million households — or 9.1 percent — owed more than their homes are worth in the fourth quarter of 2017, according to data firm Zillow, with an estimated 713,000 owing at least twice as much as their property’s value.

While the percentage is declining, families in communities with stagnant property values are “trapped in their homes with no easy options to regain equity other than waiting,” said Aaron Terrazas, a senior economist at Zillow. [ Source: Bloomberg (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – The Iron Dome missile defense system succeeded on Tuesday where it had been entirely ineffective during the 2014 Gaza war: in shooting down incoming mortar shells that are in the air for just 15 seconds.

“The Iron Dome has been quite effective,” IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told reporters. “It’s probably something [Gazan terrorist groups] didn’t take into account.”

This was not the first time that the Iron Dome has intercepted mortar fire, but Tuesday represented a significant test for the system, which the military believes it passed. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Israeli warplanes hit some 25 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip late Tuesday and early Wednesday in a second wave of retaliatory strikes, the army said, as Palestinian terror groups continued to fire mortars and rockets into Israel.

Midnight came and went with no signs of a reported ceasefire deal to end a day of cross-border attacks that began with a barrage of mortar shells from Gaza into southern Israel. Terror groups in the Gaza Strip said the agreement had been reached under Egyptian mediation, while Israeli officials denied a truce had been agreed upon.

The military said fighter jets, helicopters and other aircraft bombed a Hamas drone facility, rocket manufacturing plant, advanced weapons depot, military compounds, training camps and weapons factories. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – In a rare incident, Israeli warplanes were reportedly intercepted by Russian fighter jets over Lebanon early Monday morning, despite an understanding in place between Moscow and Jerusalem to avoid conflict between the two countries.

Hadashot news, citing Lebanese and Russian media outlets, said that 2 Israeli Air Force F-16 planes were challenged by Sukhoi Su-34 jets over Tripoli and forced away.

There has been no official confirmation from Russia or Israel. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Turkey will meet its needs elsewhere if the United States does not allow it to procure Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jets, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by broadcaster CNN Turk on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on a return flight from a visit to Germany, Cavusoglu also said that Turkey’s ambassador to Washington, who had been recalled for consultations after Israeli forces killed Palestinian protesters in Gaza earlier this month, would return to Washington. [ Source: Jerusalem Post (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Subtropical Storm Alberto lumbered ashore Monday on the U.S. Gulf Coast, pelting white sand beaches with blustery winds and stinging rain that kept the usual Memorial Day crowds away.

Forecasters warned heavy rain, flash flooding and dangerous surf posed the biggest threats as Alberto’s ragged core made landfall near Laguna Beach in the Florida Panhandle. A few brief tornadoes also were possible in much of Florida and parts of Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said at 5 p.m. EDT Monday that Alberto was centered about 15 miles (24 kilometers) west-northwest of Panama City, Florida. With maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph), Alberto was moving north at 9 mph (14 kph). [ Source: CBN News (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – An Indonesian court sentenced a Protestant pastor to four years in prison and slapped him with a hefty fine on Monday simply because he shared his faith with a taxi driver.

The Jakarta Post reports that a district court in Tangerang, Java, issued the four-year sentence and a fine equivalent to $3,565 to Rev. Abraham Ben Moses, a well-known former Muslim apologist.

Moses, who was arrested last December, was detained after a video was widely circulated that showed him sharing his faith with a Muslim taxi driver. [ Source: Christian Post (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Iowa Republicans are hoping their new law banning abortion after six weeks lands in the Supreme Court, but experts say it’s not clear the fight will get that far, and say it might first require a shift in the court’s composition.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, signed the “heartbeat” bill this month. The legislation outlaws abortion after the point at which a heartbeat is detected, which is typically six weeks.

The Iowa law is the most restrictive abortion measure in the country, and it drew an immediate legal challenge from Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Iowa. [ Source: Washington Examiner (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – The Supreme Court is heading into the final month of its term, facing decisions on gerrymandering, unions, gay rights, abortion and President Trump’s travel ban.

This term’s best-known case is a culture wars clash that pits equal rights for gay customers against a claim of religious liberty from a Christian store owner. It is one of three major cases that feature a “compelled speech” claim from conservatives who object to liberal state laws. The others involve union fees and California’s required disclosures for crisis pregnancy centers.

The justices are expected to announce decisions on the first day of every work week between now and the end of June, and then adjourn for the summer. [ Source: Herald Review (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, considered a moderate by many, was caught on tape Thursday joining a crowd in a chant calling for the destruction of Iran’s enemies—among them the US, UK and Israel.

The chant broke out after a speech delivered by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei held in Tehran.

The crowd is then heard chanting “Death to America”, “Death to Britain” and “Death to Israel,” all while Zarif is seen smiling and mouthing the words shouted by the participants. [ Source: Ynet News (Read More and View video…) ]

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