This is Waterboy with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday June 9th, 2021.

Supreme Court what?, more duh science when it comes to COVID, Trump run for Congress?, Fight Laugh U is back, more info on the Fight Laugh Feast Conference in TN, Fourth of July Liberty Bash, and public reinstated a teacher! 

Fight Laugh Feast University is offering two new classes starting this July! Get the whole family involved and participate in live online classes via Zoom. Hangout with fellow friends of the network, and learn together with the whole family. We have two classes beginning in July, and I don’t even want to miss these classes. The first class is with Comedian John Branyan called: Life is Hardy Har Hard: A Comedy Workshop for Christians

About

Life on Earth is not for sissies. Every day presents you with trials and tribulations that can rob your joy and make laughter impossible. But that's not how it's supposed to be for Christians.

As heirs to the Kingdom of God, Christians ought to be jolly folks. This 7 week course is jam-packed with practical information for how to sharpen your sense of humor and find funny, even in tragedy.

Laughter is a learned behavior and with over 30-years of comedy experience, I can teach you how to do it. The course contains information that will help you:

Speak more effectively.Encourage others when they suffer.Overcome depression.Stand up to bullies.Brainstorm zillions of ideas whenever you feel like it.Laugh more often.

Comedy is a weapon for destroying suffering. Learn to wield that weapon like a pro. It will make your whole life better!

(This course is fun too.)

The second class is with the Managing editor of our Magazine: Jesse Sumpter and is titled Education is Warfare: How to Start a School

About

Education is warfare. The time to build schools is here. Christian parents need to recover the job of educating the next generation. Christians made education great because education has been at the heart of the Christian mission. The Great Commission is to teach all nations what Jesus commands and in order to do that we need schools. Learn the big picture and history of Christian education and learn how to start a school. Be part of live discussiones with experienced educators who have started schools: Doug Wilson, Larry Stephenson, Toby Sumpter, and others. Start your own school today.    

Objectives: 

Know Christian Education and its ImportanceUnderstand Classical EducationKnow Basic Ingredients Needed to Create a SchoolLearn from Seasoned Educators on how to Build

So go to https://flfnetwork.com/flf-edu/ to sign up now. Classes are limited to only 25 spots!

No point vaccinating those who’ve had COVID-19: Findings of Cleveland Clinic study

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210608/No-point-vaccinating-those-whoe28099ve-had-COVID-19-Findings-of-Cleveland-Clinic-study.aspx

According to News Medical/Life Sciences

“Scientists from the Cleveland Clinic, USA, have recently evaluated the effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19) vaccination among individuals with or without a history of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

The study findings reveal that individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection do not get additional benefits from vaccination, indicating that COVID-19 vaccines should be prioritized to individuals without prior infection. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.” (medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.) (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.01.21258176v2)

The conclusion from the actual study:

Conclusions: Individuals who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection are unlikely to benefit from COVID-19 vaccination, and vaccines can be safely pri

This is Toby Sumpter with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, June 8, 2021.

Fourth of July Club Member Liberty Bash

Join us at our first annual 4th of July Club Member Liberty Bash! We are so grateful to our club members, and can’t think of a better way to celebrate America, than a joyous, raucous, party with our club members at Waterboy’s farm.

Unfortunately, space is limited, so sign up ASAP. Ok pay attention, here is how you register: Go to www.FightLaughFeast.com and login into the club portal and you will find the 4th of July event. Click on it and follow the registration steps from there. If you have forgotten your password, just go through the fast and easy password reset process. If you get stuck, email us at [email protected].

The event is free, though we would gladly accept donations to cover some costs. Our software is a little funny, so just note that you have to put in a 0 (zero) into the price box at checkout to move forward.

VP Harris Tells Would-Be Guatamalans “Do Not Come.”

Play Audio:

Then the media exploded with cries of white supremacy. Harris hates Latinos, and… 

Wait, no Harris and Biden aren’t White Supremacists… Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are White Supremacists for… [checks notes] supporting the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

But First, Here’s Biden Taking a Shot at Manchin and Sinema

Play Audio: 0:00-1:02

Then on Sunday morning Sen. Manchin wrote an Op-ed for the West Virginia Gazette:

Why I’m Voting Against the For the People Act

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/op_ed_commentaries/joe-manchin-why-im-voting-against-the-for-the-people-act/article_c7eb2551-a500-5f77-aa37-2e42d0af870f.htm

“Democrats in Congress have proposed a sweeping election reform bill called the For the People Act. This more than 800-page bill has garnered zero Republican support. Why? Are the very Republican senators who voted to impeach Trump because of actions that led to an attack on our democracy unwilling to support actions to strengthen our democracy? Are these same senators, whom many in my party applauded for their courage, now threats to the very democracy we seek to protect?

The truth, I would argue, is that voting and election reform that is done in a partisan manner will all but ensure partisan divisions continue to deepen.

With that in mind, some Democrats have again proposed eliminating the Senate filibuster rule in order to pass the For the People Act with only Democratic support. They’ve attempted to demonize the filibuster and conveniently ignore how it has been critical to protecting the rights of Democrats in the past.

As a reminder, just four short years ago, in 2017 when Republicans held control of the White House and Congress, President Donald Trump was publicly urging Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster. Then, it was Senate Democrats who were proudly defending the filibuster. Thirty-three Senate Democrats penned a letter to Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., warning of the perils of eliminating the filibuster….

The Voting Rights Act, for example, was monumental in the fight to guarantee freer and fairer elections in the United States. Since its original passage, it has been reauthorized with overwhelming bipartisan votes five separate times. In addition, there is bipartisan support to pass the latest iteration of this legislation, the rightfully named John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would update the formula states and localities must use to ensure proposed voting laws do not restrict the rights of any particular group or population. My Republican colleague, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, has joined me in urging Senate leadership to update and pass this bill through regular order. I continue to engage with my Republican and Democratic colleagues about the value of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and I am encouraged b

Good Monday! This the Chocolate Knox with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Monday, June 7, 2021…Don’t forget about you buddy’s over here and send us news stories to [email protected]

Supreme Court punts on including women in the draft, cites 'deference to Congress'

Kavanaugh, Breyer, Sotomayor said Supreme Court should let Congress decide whether to draft women into military

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supreme-court-women-in-draft-deference-congress

The Supreme Court on Monday punted on a case that could have required women to be included in the Selective Service System – the military draft

The court denied a petition from the National Coalition for Men to hear the case on the system that currently requires all men from 18 to 25 to register for potential military service in a national crisis. 

The group said that the continued integration of women into the military and the reversal of the ban on women in combat removed the basis of the 1981 case that upheld the selection of only men for the draft. 

The Selective Service System, opposing a change that would mandate women register for the draft, emphasized that the court previously "deferred to Congress’s judgment" on the Selective Service System. 

Justices Sonia Sotomayor agreed with that argument in a statement also signed by Justices Stephen Breyer and Brett Kavanaugh. 

In the precedent that upheld the men-only draft, Sotomayor wrote, "this Court upheld the Act’s gender-based registration requirement against an equal protection challenge, citing the fact that women were ‘excluded from combat’ roles and hence ‘would not be needed in the event of a draft.’"

"The role of women in the military has changed dramatically since then. Beginning in 1991, thousands of women have served with distinction in a wide range of combat roles, from operating military aircraft and naval vessels to participating in boots-on-the-ground infantry missions," Sotomayor continued. "Women have passed the military’s demanding tests to become U. S. Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, and Green Berets… As of 2015, there are no longer any positions in the United States Armed Forces closed to women."

But Sotomayor continued to note that Congress created a commission to study whether women should be included in the draft, which released a report last year saying that they should. And in recent months, she said, senators including Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., said he wants the upcoming defense bill to include a provision requiring women to register for the Selective Service System. 

It is not clear that effort will succeed, but nevertheless the Supreme Court should give Congress space to act before weighing in, Sotomayor said. 

"[A]t least for now, the Court’s longstanding deference to Congress on matters of national defense and military affairs cautions against granting review while Congress actively weighs the issue," Sotomayor said.

Clip from:

On April 25, 2019, the Commission hosted Selective Service Hearing: Should Registration be Expanded to All Americans? – Arguments against Expansion. This hearing addressed the case for continuing to restrict registration to men only and the challenges in achieving compliance with the current system.  

Panelists: 

- Dr. Mark Coppenger, Professor of Christian Philosophy and Ethics, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

- Ms. Jude Eden, US Marine Corps Iraq veteran and freelance writer

- Mr. Edward Hasbrouck, Editor and publisher, Resisters.info

- Ms. Ashley McGuire, Author of Sex Scandal: The Drive to Abolish Male and Female

- Ms. Diane Randall, Executive Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation

Coppenger clip

Jude Eden open

Eden question

July 4th where are you gonna be at? 

Well, if you are a fight laugh feast club member you’re invited to the Liberty Bash at Gabe’s house. It’s one of the ways we want

This is Toby Sumpter with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, June 4, 2021.

Fourth of July Club Member Liberty Bash

Join us at our first annual 4th of July Club Member Liberty Bash! We are so grateful to our club members, and can’t think of a better way to celebrate America, than a joyous, raucous, party with our club members at Waterboy’s farm.

Unfortunately, space is limited, so sign up ASAP. Ok pay attention, here is how you register: Go to www.FightLaughFeast.com and login into the club portal and you will find the 4th of July event. Click on it and follow the registration steps from there. If you have forgotten your password, just go through the fast and easy password reset process. If you get stuck, email us at [email protected].

The event is free, though we would gladly accept donations to cover some costs. Our software is a little funny, so just note that you have to put in a 0 (zero) into the price box at checkout to move forward.

Teacher Tanner Cross

https://twitter.com/imichaelsmiller/status/1398005991795572736?s=20

Play audio: 0:09-0:57

Less than 12 hours after Cross had his say during the public comments, he was hauled into a meeting where he was informed he'd been put on administrative leave pending an investigation. Cross is a Loudon County, Virginia elementary P.E. Teacher. 

According to the letter he got from district officials, there was no explanation for the decision – only a warning that an investigation had been launched and Tanner was banned from school property.

Cross's Alliance Defending Freedom attorney, Tyson Langhofer, wasn't surprised the district didn't explain the suspension, because, as far as he's concerned, there's no legitimate rationale – legal or otherwise – to justify it. “Teachers don't shed their constitutional rights when they step on to a schoolhouse property,” Langhofer argued. “And in this case, he wasn't even on the school's property. He went to a public meeting where the school board invited the public to come comment on proposed policies...”

Loudoun County, ADF insisted, can't retaliate against Tanner just because he doesn't share their views. In a counter-letter to the district, demanding Cross's reinstatement, Langhofer warned that the administration was walking on dangerous ground by sending the message that employees have to “toe the line or face the consequences.” Unfortunately, he explained, this is a new pattern that we're seeing in school boards across the country.

Tony Perkins writes at Lifesite news” As tough as the last week has been, there's been an outpouring of support for the Crosses from the local community. Tanner and his family had just started going to Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, where our good friend Pastor Gary Hamrick has been preaching with cultural clarity for years. His unapologetic stand, Tanner says, was one of the main reasons he had the courage to stand up and speak out.

When I talked to Pastor Gary, who spent a good chunk of his Sunday sermon on Tanner's story and encouraging the community to “take back our schools,” he said this is what living out your faith is all about. “It's applying what we know to be true from God's word to everyday life... [W]e have to be ready to be salt and light” – no matter what the opposition looks like.

If Pastor Gary means taking back our schools – as in taking them back from the government, to make them private and thoroughly Christian – then yes, but if he just means a 1950s government school with Jesus and Bible sprinkled over the top. Hell, no. 

But I am thankful for Tanner Cross’s stand. More Christians need to speak with that kind of kindness and clarity into the microphone and not flinch. Let the backlash come. Smile. And keep on saying it. 

Blues Clues Grooming Kids for Abuse

Of course if you’re grooming kids for sexual exploitation, you’ll get millions of taxpayer dollars on PBS to create propagand

This is Waterboy with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, June 2, 2021.

Texas hospital staff standing up to the mandatory vaccine, Bruce (Caytlin) Jenner flip-flops, MLB getting sued, and a new study out that says lockdowns and masks dont work. 

Happy Birthday to my brother. 

Texas Hospital Staff Says Vaccine Mandate Breaks Nuremberg Code

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-28/texas-hospital-staff-says-vaccine-mandate-breaks-nuremberg-code?utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_source=facebook&cmpid=socialflow-facebook-business

A Houston hospital will become the first in the U.S. to fire workers for refusing Covid-19 vaccinations starting on June 7, unless a state judge intervenes.

About 117 staffers sued Houston Methodist Hospital Friday in Texas state court, claiming the facility’s vax-or-pink-slip mandate violates World War II-era ethics codes designed to prevent medical experimentation on unwilling human subjects. The so-called Nuremberg Code was developed in response to Nazi atrocities conducted on concentration camp victims.

About 99% of the 26,000 employees of the hospital, a cornerstone of the famed Texas Medical Center, are already in compliance with its vaccination mandate, according to an email sent by Marc Boom, the hospital’s chief executive officer, to all employees and physicians. The remaining staffers were reminded they have until June 7 to get the jab or face the consequences.

The lawsuit represents an escalation by Jennifer Bridges, an outspoken Houston nurse, who took her complaints to social media shortly after her employer’s vaccination policy was announced. Her April 17 Facebook post attracted 94 comments and encouragement to hire a lawyer. Her name is listed first among the plaintiffs in Friday’s complaint filed in Montgomery County, about an hour north of downtown Houston.

Boom’s internal email makes no mention of the hospital’s policy to exempt employees who are pregnant, have underlying medical conditions or strongly held religious convictions from vaccine mandates. “It is legal for health care institutions to mandate vaccines, as we have done with the flu vaccine since 2009,” Boom said in his note. “The Covid-19 vaccines have proven through rigorous trials to be very safe and very effective and are not experimental,” he added.

Jared Woodfill, a lawyer for the holdouts, disagrees. Covid vaccines authorized for emergency use aren’t fully approved by federal regulators, he said, and aren’t allowed to be mandatory under U.S. Centers for Disease Control current rules.

“Methodist Hospital is forcing its employees to be human ‘guinea pigs’ as a condition for continued employment,” Woodfill said in court papers asking a state judge to temporarily block the planned firings. “This, as a matter of fact, is a gene modification medical experiment on human beings, performed without informed consent. It is a severe and blatant violation of the Nuremberg Code and the public policy of the state of Texas.”

The holdouts also accuse Methodist of wrongful discharge and violating Texas’s at-will employment laws.

Even if the judge sides with workers refusing the shots, the concept of forcing employees to get vaccinated or lose their jobs is already spreading as fast as the virus itself among other large hospitals.

“CEOS of other health care institutions are calling nearly every day to ask how we are doing it,” Boom said in an April note to staffers. “I hope other health care systems and employers will quickly join Houston Methodist in making the vaccine mandatory for staff. The sooner we’re able to end this pandemic, the fewer lives we will continue to lose to it and the closer we can get to normal.”

Caitlyn Jenner Flip-Flops: Boys Who Started Trans Treatment Young ‘Should Be Able To Compete In Girls’ Sports’

https://thefederalist.com/2021/05/27/caitlyn-jenner-flip-flops-boys-who-started

This is Toby Sumpter with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, May 28, 2021.

Eric Carle RIP

Play Audio: 0:15-0:31

Eric Carle, illustrator of more than 70 children's picture books, most famously The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has died at 91 years of age. 

According to a family statement, Carle "passed away peacefully and surrounded by family members on May 23, 2021 at his summer studio in Northampton, Massachusetts."

Many of his books were often about insects. Spiders, lady bugs, crickets and of course, that famous caterpillar, all as colorful and friendly as Carle himself. The Very Hungry Caterpillar — came out in 1969 and became one of the bestselling children's books of all time.

AD: "Do you have a guitar at home that’s calling out to you?  Do you long to discover or rediscover your voice as a guitarist?  Maybe you’re overwhelmed and you don’t know where to start.  But there’s a way.  GuitarSuccess4U is a unique, online membership, founded by David Harsh, a fellow Cross Politic listener who has been touring nationally as a Christian artist, worship leader and guitar workshop clinician for the last 20 years.  You can learn at your own pace, from home, alongside a community of guitarists who range from beginner to intermediate, worship leaders, hobbyists, retirees, stay-at-home moms and more.  Through a fun, inspiring approach to the guitar, David shares from his decades of experience, and takes you step-by-step towards becoming the musician you were made to be. Learn more and join now at GuitarSuccess4U.com.  That’s Guitar Success, the number “4” and the letter “U,” dot com."

Shooting in San Jose Claims the Lives of 10

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/05/27/san-jose-shooting-suspect-samuel-cassidy-planned-attack/7471990002/

Samuel Cassidy prepared for years to unleash his rage.

He had weapons. He read up on terrorism and manifestos. He harbored bomb-making materials. He rigged his home to go up in an inferno as he set out to kill nine fellow employees at a light-rail hub in San Jose. 

While he plotted intricately for a mass attack, appearing like a terrorist on a mission, his motive was much simpler: He just hated his co-workers.

That's the picture painted so far by law enforcement as detectives try to understand the pent-up animosity that Cassidy appears to have kindled for a decade against the people he worked alongside.

Cassidy, described by those who knew him as having alcohol issues, for years talked about his hatred of his workplace at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail hub. The details make clear the suspect employed tactics not routinely seen in mass shootings.

Cassidy left his home around 5:39 a.m., armed with a duffel bag and what experts say was a plan to never return. 

Before he left, he set a timer or slow-burn device to set his two-story on fire, Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith said. The fire was reported minutes after the first 911 calls came in about the shooting at the rail facility. 

Footage captured by news helicopters showed law enforcement sifting through debris in the backyard of the beige home throughout Wednesday afternoon. The back of the home appeared to have the most visible damage with the roof charred and debris thrown in the yard. 

"Everyone of these killers are different but it's clear he wanted to express his rage on others but also wanted to destroy himself -- and that included his home," said Dr. Ziv Cohen, a forensic and clinical psychiatrist who consults on murder cases and serves as an expert witness in criminal trials.

Cohen noted it's possible the suspect may have been attempting to destroy evidence, but it was clear he didn't plan to return. "I don't really think I remember a specific

This is Toby Sumpter with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, May 27, 2021.

Belarus Hijacking to Arrest Dissident Journalist

https://www.wsj.com/articles/european-airline-wizz-air-redirects-flight-to-avoid-belarus-airspace-11621847226

On Sunday, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus ordered a jet fighter to force a Ryanair Holdings PLC commercial aircraft to land as it was passing through Belarus airspace. Authorities arrested Mr. Protasevich before allowing the plane to continue its journey. 

The incident has raised questions over the legality of the plane’s grounding. Mr. Raab condemned the incident as “a shocking assault on civil aviation and an assault on international law,” which “represents a danger to civilian flights everywhere.”

Since presidential elections last summer that most Western countries considered fraudulent, the EU has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Belarus targeting Mr. Lukashenko and close to 100 officials, business leaders and entities.

On Sunday, a statement on Mr. Lukashenko’s official Telegram messenger app said Belarusian authorities received information that a passenger plane over the country’s airspace possibly had explosives on board, and Mr. Lukashenko ordered a MiG-29 jet fighter to escort the aircraft to land in Minsk.

On Monday, Belarusian transport authorities said Gaza’s governing militant group, Hamas, had sent an email to the Minsk National Airport on May 23 warning that a bomb would explode on the Ryanair flight unless Israel ceased hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Authorities in Gaza didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

At a summit in Brussels on Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel dismissed the Belarusian government’s explanation for the forced landing of the plane as “completely implausible.”

President Biden on Monday denounced the grounding of the Ryanair flight, called for the release of Mr. Protasevich and said the U.S. is looking at taking some action.

The chief executive of Ryanair on Monday said the airline believes members of Belarus’s secret service were aboard when the plane was forced to divert to the country’s capital of Minsk on Sunday, calling the incident “a case of state-sponsored hijacking” and further raising global-aviation industry alarm over the rerouting.

Mr. Protasevich had wrapped up a holiday with his girlfriend in Greece, where he also attended an economic forum with Ms. Tikhanovskaya, and was returning home to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius. Instead, he ended up being detained in Belarus, the homeland he fled more than a year ago.

Around 15 minutes before landing, passengers said they were jolted as the plane made a sharp turn. When the pilot got onto the loudspeaker, they expected him to announce that the aircraft was preparing to land in Vilnius, recalled passenger Janis Zviedris, a Latvian who was seated in the plane’s ninth row.

“Instead, I heard the word Minsk,” said Mr. Zviedris, 43. “There was shock. The pilot said something about Vilnius airport and security reasons.”

On arrival in Minsk, passengers were told to remain in their seats. A Lithuanian lifestyle blogger, who would only agree to use her first name, Raselle, filmed the incident from her seat at the front of the plane and uploaded clips to YouTube. She said a flight attendant told passengers that legal issues had prevented the plane from landing in Lithuania and that it had to divert to Minsk.

Passengers were eventually allowed to deplane in groups of five to six people, said Audre Cek, 34, a Lithuanian medical-device industry worker who was traveling with her mother. They were told to leave their belongings on the ground near the plane as sniffer dogs and security personnel examined them, she said, and then ushered to two different buses.

Belarus, which isn’t a member of the EU or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has one big regional ally: Russia. Moscow has l

This is Waterboy with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, May 26th, 2021.

"Do you have a guitar at home that’s calling out to you?  Do you long to discover or rediscover your voice as a guitarist?  Maybe you’re overwhelmed and you don’t know where to start.  But there’s a way.  GuitarSuccess4U is a unique, online membership, founded by David Harsh, a fellow Cross Politic listener who has been touring nationally as a Christian artist, worship leader and guitar workshop clinician for the last 20 years.  You can learn at your own pace, from home, alongside a community of guitarists who range from beginner to intermediate, worship leaders, hobbyists, retirees, stay-at-home moms and more.  Through a fun, inspiring approach to the guitar, David shares from his decades of experience, and takes you step-by-step towards becoming the musician you were made to be. Learn more and join now at GuitarSuccess4U.com.  That’s Guitar Success, the number “4” and the letter “U,” dot com."

United Is Giving Away Free Flights To Vaccinated Travelers—And Delta, American And Southwest Should, Too

https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2021/05/25/united-free-flights-vaccinated-sweepstakes/?sh=6e51ca8d1034

United Airlines just launched a sweepstakes that’s open only to fully vaccinated travelers, and the prize is a humdinger.

Every day in June, the airline will give away a pair of roundtrip tickets for two, in any class of service, to anywhere in the world United flies. But wait, there’s more. On July 1, United will dip back into the pool and randomly pick five winners for the amazing grand prize: Free flights for two, anywhere in the world, for an entire year.

Not only is this initiative good for United’s business, it’s going to be very good for the country.

Vaccine incentives work, and that’s especially true for lottery-style campaigns that offer mega prizes. Ohio’s Vax-a-Million sweepstakes, which is giving away five $1 million prizes to vaccinated residents, boosted the state’s vaccine rate by more than 28% in its first three days. The first winner was pulled yesterday from a pool of 2.8 million entries.

Now, New York, Maryland and Oregon are also incentivizing unvaccinated residents to get their Covid-19 shots by offering the chance to win as much as $5 million through their own lotteries.

“We're proud to do our part to incentivize people to get their shot,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “Thanks to the vaccine, more and more destinations are opening up for travel – and we know our customers are eager to fly.”

Idaho’s COVID-19 vaccine rates still among lowest in the U.S.; state reports 6 deaths

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/coronavirus/article251653873.html

According to the Idaho Statesman:

“Idaho health officials on Monday reported 329 new cases of COVID-19 and six deaths in a state that has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country.

The 329 new cases reported since Friday are in line with case numbers in recent days, with a quarter of the new cases reported in Ada County (52,644 total).

Officials also reported six new deaths related to COVID-19. One new death was reported in each of the following counties: Bannock (110 total), Canyon (299 total), Jefferson (31 total), Kootenai (210 total), Lewis (10 total) and Owyhee (30 total). To date, 2,086 Idahoans have died of COVID-19.

The plateau in cases comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Idaho is among the worst states in the country for vaccination rates per capita. The CDC shows about 67,900 vaccine doses administered in Idaho per 100,000 residents, the sixth-worst rate in the country. Only Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Wyoming and Arkansas are worse.

Idaho has been falling behind national vaccination rates for some time. Health and Welfare data shows 42.4% of Idahoans 18 and older have been fully vaccinated versus 49.6% nationwide. About 70.5% of Idahoans 65 and older have comp

This is Toby Sumpter with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, May 25, 2021.

“Super Flower Blood Moon,” will be visible in most of the western half of the U.S.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article251641118.html

May’s full moon isn’t an ordinary full moon. 

The full moon Wednesday, called the “Flower Moon,” will feature three celestial events at the same time, according to NASA. A supermoon, total lunar eclipse and blood moon could appear in the sky across the western half of the U.S. 

It’ll be the largest and closest full moon of the year, making it a supermoon, NASA said. The total lunar eclipse will also be the only one in 2021.

A total eclipse of a year’s nearest full moon last happened on Sept. 28, 2015, according to EarthSky. 

“Yet, it’s not just bringing brightness and size,” NASA said in its Watch the Skies blog. “May’s supermoon is also bringing a ‘super power’ to change its color, and the color is red.”

That change to a rusty, blood-like color could create what is known as a “Blood Moon.” Those only happen when the moon is in a total lunar eclipse, according to Space.com. 

A blood moon hasn’t happened since January 2019. A blood moon won’t happen again until May 2022, Space.com reported.

People living in the Pacific and Mountain time zones will be able to see it, according to NASA. Some people in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Hawaii and Alaska could also catch a glimpse of the Super Flower Blood Moon.

The eclipse will start at 1:46 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, May 26, according to NASA.

“To catch totality – the period when all of the Moon’s surface is blanketed by the Earth’s dark shadow – look up between 4:11 and 4:26 a.m,” NASA said. “We haven’t had a total lunar eclipse occur with a supermoon in almost six years.”

If the Super Flower Blood Moon isn’t visible in your area, the Griffith Observatory, Lowell Observatory, The Virtual Telescope Project and Time and Date all plan to stream the celestial event, according to Space.com.

Amer Zahr – Bernie Sanders Campaign Surrogate Says People Should Stop Condemning Anti-Semitism

Meanwhile Iran’s Supreme Leader Calls for Holy War on Israel and Twitter Does Nothing

“Your fight against oppression is a manifestation of the verse, "If you aid God's cause, He will aid you & strengthen your steps." By God's Power, you will be victorious &purify the #HolyLand from the contamination of the usurpers, God willing.2/2 Your brother, Sayyid Ali Khamenei” May 24

President Biden Had This to Say in Response

Do you have a guitar at home that’s calling out to you?  Do you long to discover or rediscover your voice as a guitarist?  Maybe you’re overwhelmed and you don’t know where to start.  But there’s a way.  GuitarSuccess4U is a unique, online membership, founded by David Harsh, a fellow Cross Politic listener who has been touring nationally as a Christian artist, worship leader and guitar workshop clinician for the last 20 years.  You can learn at your own pace, from home, alongside a community of guitarists who range from beginner to intermediate, worship leaders, hobbyists, retirees, stay-at-home moms and more.  Through a fun, inspiring approach to the guitar, David shares from his decades of experience, and takes you step-by-step towards becoming the musician you were made to be. Learn more and join now at GuitarSuccess4U.com.  That’s Guitar Success, the number “4” and the letter “U,” dot com."

Roger Kimball Wrote Last Week in the Spectator that the January 6th Official Narrative is Crumbling”

https://spectator.us/topic/capitol-armed-insurrection-narrative-crumbling/?fbclid=IwAR2TfJsXqZKEXGmwFv0A67w21BOlxBgGA3fjjUpkJhglaicKtFRcgmj3RhE

…many irresponsible commentators — but here I repeat myself — and Democratic politicians compared the January 6 protest at the Capitol to December 7, to the 9/11

Daily News Brief for Monday, May 24, 2021

"Do you have a guitar at home that’s calling out to you?  Do you long to discover or rediscover your voice as a guitarist?  Maybe you’re overwhelmed and you don’t know where to start.  But there’s a way.  GuitarSuccess4U is a unique, online membership, founded by David Harsh, a fellow Cross Politic listener who has been touring nationally as a Christian artist, worship leader and guitar workshop clinician for the last 20 years.  You can learn at your own pace, from home, alongside a community of guitarists who range from beginner to intermediate, worship leaders, hobbyists, retirees, stay-at-home moms and more.  Through a fun, inspiring approach to the guitar, David shares from his decades of experience, and takes you step-by-step towards becoming the musician you were made to be. Learn more and join now at GuitarSuccess4U.com.  That’s Guitar Success, the number “4” and the letter “U,” dot com."

Couple get married on plane mid-air with 161 guests to avoid Covid restrictions

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/couple-married-plane-mid-air-24174467

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) has had to apologize

https://thepostmillennial.com/whitmer-apologizes-for-blatant-lockdown-hypocrisy-after-being-caught-in-dive-bar/

 60 Minutes speaks to those who have 'detransitioned' after undergoing medical gender transition

https://www.conservativereview.com/watch-60-minutes-speaks-to-those-who-have-detransitioned-after-undergoing-medical-gender-transition-2653092439.html

60 Minutes' Leslie Stahl dug into the questions about transgender medicine on Sunday night, speaks to doctors, advocates, and to people who had undergone gender transition, and then found themselves needing to "detransition."

Virginia awarded $135.8 million worth of grants to support state and local criminal justice programs, primarily to support those who have been the victims of a crime, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/virginia-directs-nearly-136m-for-state-and-local-criminal-justice-programs

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he will take action to prohibit schools in his state from teaching critical race theory (CRT)

Ron DeSantis Vows to Ban Critical Race Theory in Florida Schools

https://thefederalist.com/2021/05/24/gov-ron-desantis-vows-to-ban-critical-race-theory-in-florida-schools/

Lego unveils first LGBTQ set ahead of Pride Month

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/lego-lgbtq-set-pride-intl-scli/index.html