A cease-fire between Israel and Hamas began today after the worst violence in many years. The Israeli security cabinet voted late yesterday to end airstrikes on Gaza. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the cabinet unanimously agreed to a “mutual and unconditional” cessation of hostilities. A Hamas official confirmed that the cease-fire would be “mutual and simultaneous.” This is obviously good news. However, this cease-fire is not peace. In fact, we should have no expectation that the end to this... Read more

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law yesterday a measure prohibiting abortions in Texas as early as six weeks. The governor stated that the bill “ensures that the life of every unborn child who has a heartbeat will be saved from the ravages of abortion.” The ban includes cases where the woman was impregnated as a result of rape or incest, but it allows an exception for medical emergencies. It takes effect in September, though pro-abortion activists have promised to... Read more

The conflict between Israel and Hamas intensified yesterday. An airstrike launched from within the Gaza Strip killed two workers in southern Israel, while protests in the West Bank turned deadly. The fighting is being described as the worst since 2014. In response, a group of twenty Republican senators is pushing for a vote this week on a resolution that expresses support for Israel. On the other side, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed that “the expulsions of Palestinians and attacks on al-Aqsa”... Read more

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could undermine Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion across America. The Wall Street Journal explains that the case in question is “a Mississippi abortion law that seeks to ban the procedure after fifteen weeks of pregnancy, a case that gives the justices an opportunity to revisit the court’s precedents protecting abortion rights.” According to the New York Times, pro-life supporters are “expressing excitement at the court’s... Read more

A pet tiger that had been wandering around a Houston neighborhood for several days has been found safe. It was taken to an animal sanctuary yesterday morning, and for good reason: there really is no such thing as a “pet” tiger. As the Humane Society notes, attacks by captive tigers have killed children and adults. What is true physically is even more true spiritually: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for... Read more

Hamas fired large fusillades of rockets at Tel Aviv and other civilian areas in Israel yesterday as the conflict in the Holy Land continues to escalate. More than 1,800 rockets and mortar shells have been launched toward Israel this week; the large number is intended to overwhelm Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system. Armed drones were sent into southern Israel as well. Ben Gurion International Airport was closed to incoming passenger flights. The Israeli military responded this morning with a... Read more

Elizabeth Lynn Cheney has been representing a Wyoming congressional district in the US House of Representatives since 2017. She has also been serving as the House Republican Conference chair, the third-highest position in House Republican leadership. She is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and one of the best-known figures in Washington, DC. However, her repeated opposition to former President Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was stolen has led to rising opposition within her party. Yesterday, in... Read more

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced this week that it will prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Their statement requires healthcare providers and other organizations that receive funding from HHS to provide medical services to transgender individuals. Such services include sex-change procedures for any and all patients who request them—even children. The HHS announcement does note that its Office for Civil Rights “will comply with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” However, if... Read more

“A struggle is now raging over the heart of Jerusalem,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated yesterday. He was addressing riots in the Old City of Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount. What sparked the violence? Thomas Friedman explains in today’s New York Times: Jerusalem Day is an Israeli national holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem and establishment of Israeli control over the Old City after the Six-Day War in 1967. It was celebrated with prayer services at the Western... Read more

Let’s begin with some good news: you didn’t get hit by falling rocket debris yesterday. Remnants of a Chinese rocket landed in the Indian Ocean on Sunday. Most of its components were destroyed upon entering the atmosphere. Parts that survived reentry crashed into the ocean west of the Maldives, a small island chain south of India. However, we don’t need threats from space to endanger life on earth. Six people were killed yesterday morning during a birthday party in Colorado... Read more