Important Takeaways:
- Oklahoma has been faced with a new tornado warning today as the super-charged atmosphere threatens a second wave in just two days.
- Severe storms and tornadoes battered the state early Sunday, tossing cars and ripping roofs off buildings in the middle of the night and leaving tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power.
- Among numerous injuries, 11 people required hospitalization, authorities said.
- Much of the damage was reported in and around the state capital of Oklahoma City, near the state’s center, but also scattered elsewhere around the state.
- The early morning storms set off tornado warnings that extended south to the Arkansas state line.
- More than 99,000 Oklahoma homes and businesses lost power during the overnight storms.
- By late Sunday afternoon, that number was reduced to around 24,000 and no fatalities had been reported.
- Meanwhile, forecasters warned state residents to brace for more heavy rain and possible severe weather through Monday.
- ‘We’re not done with it yet,’ he said.
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Important Takeaways:
- The suspect, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, is a citizen of Afghanistan residing in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, according to prosecutors.
- “This defendant, motivated by ISIS, allegedly conspired to commit a violent attack, on Election Day, here on our homeland,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray in a statement on Tuesday.
- The FBI said he was attempting stockpile firearms, and had taken steps to liquidate his family’s assets and relocate members overseas.
- Mr Tawhedi is charged with providing, attempting to provide, and conspiracy to provide support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization; and with trying to procure firearms and ammunition to use to commit a felony or act of terrorism.
- Mr Tawhedi sought AK-47 assault rifles to use in the attack, authorities claim. On 7 October, he and the co-conspirator met with individuals who actually worked undercover for the FBI to purchase the weapons and ammunition.
- After the purchase, Mr Tawhedi and his co-conspirator were arrested.
- In an interview conducted after his arrest on Monday, the FBI said Mr Tawhedi allegedly confirmed he planned an Election Day attack that would target “large gatherings of people” and that he planned to die carrying it out.
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Important Takeaways:
- State Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters threatened to hold “rogue” public school districts accountable if they didn’t incorporate the Bible as part of their curriculum.
- At least a dozen of the state’s largest districts – Norman, Moore, Stillwater, Bixby, Deer Creek, Piedmont, Yukon, Jenks, Broken Arrow, Collinsville, Owasso and Tulsa – have publicly said they have no intention of altering their curriculum to incorporate Walters’ directive.
- Without providing examples, he said those same districts “want pornography in front of kids under the name of inclusivity but don’t want the historical context of the Bible.”
- In a five-page guidance document, issued in late July, Walters reiterated his demand: “Immediate and complete implementation of these guidelines for the 2024-2025 school year is required. This memorandum and the included standards must be provided to every teacher as well as providing a physical copy of the Bible, the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Ten Commandments as resources in every classroom in the school district. These documents are mandatory for the holistic education of students in Oklahoma.”
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Important Takeaways:
- Some state lawmakers opposed to the order said they aren’t necessarily opposed to the Bible being used or referenced. Two Democrats, who are former teachers, agree the Bible can provide important historical context.
- Where the lawmakers take issue is making teachers include the book in every lesson plan.
- “The districts are going to have to ensure that when they’re teaching our kids, when they talk about American history, when they talk about these moments that are historically factual, that the bible played a role, again not according to us, but according to those individuals in history, it will be covered in Oklahoma classrooms,” Walters said.
- “Highlighting the Bible is to fetishize one particular religious document to give it such significance in class that we start to lose sight of its meaning,” State Rep. John Waldron said.
- Despite no districts publicly getting on board with the Bible mandate, Walters wants to see it implemented statewide by the start of the school year.
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Important Takeaways:
- State Superintendent Ryan Walters said during opening comments of Thursday’s State Board of Education meeting that “every teacher, every classroom in the state will have a Bible in the classroom and will be teaching from the Bible in the classroom.”
- According to the memo obtained by StateImpact, “all Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum across specified grade levels, e.g., grades 5 through 12.”
- The memo to schools says the State Department of Education “may supply teaching materials for the Bible, as permissible, to ensure uniformity in delivery,” and “further instructions for monitoring and reporting on this implementation for the 2024/35 school year will be forthcoming.”
- Finally, it says adherence to the mandate is compulsory, and “immediate and strict compliance is expected.”
- Though many Oklahoma schools start fall classes within the next two months, Walters indicated there was still significantly more guidance to come on implementation and compliance monitoring of the mandate.
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Important Takeaways:
- Over 140,000 Farms Lost in 5 Years
- Between 2017 and 2022, the number of farms in the U.S. declined by 141,733 or 7%, according to USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, released on Feb. 13. Acres operated by farm operations during the same timeframe declined by 20.1 million (2.2%), a loss equivalent to an area about the size of Maine. Only 1.88% of acres operated and 1% of farm operations were classified under a non-family corporate farm structure.
- While the number of farm operations and acres operated declined, the value of agricultural production increased, rising from $389 billion in 2017 to $533 billion in 2022 (40% nominally and 17% adjusted for inflation).
- Between 2017 and 2022 all states but five (Alaska, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey and Rhode Island) lost farms. Texas had the largest numerical loss – nearly 18,000 farm operations – followed by Oklahoma (-8,153) and Missouri (-7,433).
- The challenges faced by farms of all sizes has raised calls for a robust and comprehensive farm bill that could provide support to the operations most at risk and to those providing the lion’s share of the American food supply, helping both to navigate economic uncertainties and regulatory complexities, to undertake innovative and sustainable practices, and to promote the long-term viability of a diverse agricultural landscape across the nation. The Census of Agriculture paints the picture of what we have lost, and of what more could be lost without firm support.
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Luke 21:25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves
Important Takeaways:
- Over a dozen tornadoes hit America’s Heartland, with more in the forecast
- At least 16 tornadoes were reported across five U.S. states overnight — Louisiana, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center
- Some of the worst damage was reported in and around Noble, Oklahoma, about 30 miles south of Oklahoma City, where a tornado struck homes and businesses, according to local ABC affiliate KOCO.
- More severe weather is expected to hit the region on Friday with huge hail, some tornadoes and damaging winds in the forecast.
- The highest threat for hail and tornadoes will be from Kansas City, Kansas, to Des Moines, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska.
- The highest threat for damaging winds will be from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Dallas, Midland and San Antonio, Texas.
- Some areas in Texas could see up to 10 inches of rain over the weekend into early next week, according to the National Weather Service.
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Luke 21:25 ““And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves
Important Takeaways:
- ‘I think we’re to the Dust Bowl.’ Oklahoma farmers say wheat crop is worst in decades
- “We had less than half of a crop last year, and we’re probably going to have half of that this year. It’s terrible,” said 75-year-old Burlington farmer Keith Kisling. “We’re in the most severe drought I’ve ever seen.”
- Farmers and agricultural businesses are bracing for the impact of a winter wheat harvest devastated by prolonged drought across much of the United States, including north-central and western Oklahoma. More than half of the Sooner State’s wheat crop is in poor condition, and producers warn that consumers and local economies likely will face financial impacts.
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Romans 1:28 “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Important Takeaways:
- ‘Militant Trans Activists’ Take Over State Capitol, Demand Lawmakers Stop Protecting Minors from Sterilization
- A large group of transgender activists entered the Oklahoma Capitol on Monday, protesting new proposals by the state legislature that would ban gender-altering procedures for young people.
- The activists were protesting four proposed bills that ban genital reassignment surgeries as well as cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers that sterilize young people.
- SB129 would prohibit gender transition procedures for those under 26, while SB252 caps the law at 18 and younger, according to The Washington Free Beacon. SB129 would also punish physicians for providing such procedures. Under the proposed measure, doctors would also lose their license to practice and would be criminally prosecuted.
- The bills have not yet come up for a vote in the legislature.
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Romans 1:28 “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.”
Important Takeaways:
- Oklahoma Assistant D.A. Accused of Possessing Child Pornography
- Kevin Etherington, 53, was charged with one count of aggravated possession of child pornography and one count of violation of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).
- On September 1, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children gave 14 cyber tips to the OSBI Internet Crimes Against Children Division (ICAC), which ended up being linked to a single suspect, later identified as Etherington, the OSBI said in a statement.
- District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas, whom Etherington worked for, announced that he was fired following the news of the charges, per the Oklahoman.
- Etherington is currently being held in a Payne County Jail.
- There have been several public officials who have recently been either accused or found guilty of possessing child pornography.
- In October, Breitbart News reported that a Democrat former mayor from Beaverton, Oregon, Dennis Doyle, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
- In September, a Democrat former councilman from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 14 to 30 months in jail after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.
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