Tag: blogging

Cecil County neighbors demand action after nearly 11,000 fish killed in Basin Run – CBS Baltimore

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Neighbors in Cecil County say they are fed up with a local farm owner they blame for contaminating nearby waterways. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) says manure runoff from Kilby Farm on Firetower Road in Colora caused a massive fish kill in Basin Run, killing nearly 11,000 fish across 25 species. The state says the farm’s owners were ordered by a court to clean up the property but have failed to comply. Now, MDE is asking a judge to hold the farm’s owner and operator, Hartland Holdings LLC, in contempt. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) says manure runoff from Kilby Farm on Firetower Road in Colora caused a massive fish kill in Basin Run, killing nearly 11,000 fish across 25 species.

Prior problems with Kilby Farm

The state says the owners took over the property in 2017 and dramatically increased the number of cattle by 2021. As the cattle population grew, so did the amount of waste, which MDE says was improperly managed. The state says excess manure polluted nearby Basin Run. During multiple on-site investigations and water quality tests, officials documented a fish kill that affected nearly 11,000 fish across 25 species. The incident followed a smaller fish kill in 2025. “These violations are unacceptable. We are taking this issue very seriously and have already obtained a preliminary injunction from the court barring this facility from discharging pollution into the waterway.

We are now asking the judge to hold the operator in contempt of that ruling,” MDE said in a statement. This is not the first time the state has taken the farm’s owners to court over the issue. MDE says it has issued several notices and previously sought court intervention to address the pollution. “Unfortunately, he’s not following the rules, and the stream, and importantly, the community is paying the price,” Adam Ortiz, deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, told WJZ. The state says the farm’s owner has failed to comply with a court order to clean up the property and has not implemented a solution to control manure and waste runoff.

MDE is now asking the judge to hold the farm’s operator in contempt. “The count is 0-2. You got to get it right this time. Otherwise, more punitive actions can take place,” Ortiz said. MDE also expressed concern that continued runoff could affect other nearby rivers and streams, as well as larger waterways, including the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay. The farm’s owners declined to comment when approached by WJZ. The station also contacted attorneys representing the owner and operator and is awaiting a response. The case is scheduled for a settlement conference in Cecil County Circuit Court in April 2027.

Neighbors frustrated with farm owners

Neighbors say they have seen dead fish washing ashore and have endured what they describe as a putrid manure stench. “Everybody knows why it’s happening. Everybody knows, but greed makes it keep on going,” John Woodrow, who has lived along Basin Run for 70 years, told WJZ. “[It’s] heartbreaking. I spent all my childhood, most of my adult life enjoying the stream. Now my grandson is being told he can’t get in there,” Woodrow said. WJZ spoke with several neighbors who said they were frustrated by the situation and felt disrespected by the farm’s owners. “It hurt to see that happen.

You shouldn’t have to live near Basin Run or be drinking the well water to care about this,” nearby resident Ashley Bowley told WJZ. Woodrow said neighbors began noticing changes in the water about five years ago. “Next thing you know, you start seeing increased weeds on the side of the stream, less fish, more algae growing on the rocks, water less clear,” he said. Despite their frustration, neighbors say they believe the farm can continue operating without harming the surrounding community. “He can still have his business, keep the stream clean for generations to come. Let’s work together on this.

Quit fighting each other in this courthouse, and work together on this and make it work,” Woodrow said. Bowley said the farm has had ample opportunity to address the state’s concerns. “I think they’ve been given ample opportunity to comply with the request from the department,” she said. “They either need to reduce their capacity greatly, or they do need to be shut down.

Source: Cecil County neighbors demand action after nearly 11,000 fish killed in Basin Run – CBS Baltimore

But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Luke 6:27-28

Hunted for Following Jesus

In some communities, Muslims who leave Islam to follow Christ face rejection, threats, violence, and even death because of their faith. For Muslim-background believers, choosing to…

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Texas trooper rescues injured owl along I-10 near Van Horn

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A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper helped rescue an injured owl found in the center median of Interstate 10 near Van Horn, highlighting the role law enforcement can play in protecting wildlife. According to a post shared by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Trooper Raymond Torres discovered the injured owl while on patrol. Torres stayed with the bird until Texas Parks and Wildlife officials arrived to transport it to the El Paso Zoo, where it is receiving medical care. DPS shared the rescue on social media, noting that its mission to protect and serve sometimes extends beyond people to include wildlife in need of assistance.

Source: Texas trooper rescues injured owl along I-10 near Van Horn

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Joshua 1:8

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Modesto considers fines up to $5,000 for reckless bike riding

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Police officer briefing mountain bikers on a forest road

The Modesto City Council is moving forward with a proposed crackdown on reckless bicycle and e-bike riding, including fines of up to $5,000 and the possible impoundment of bikes for up to 30 days. Council members waived the ordinance’s first reading, advancing the proposal that targets dangerous stunts on public streets, groups of riders blocking traffic and street takeovers.

“We have a major problem in this town of bicyclists and e-bikers,” one resident told the council. Chris Ricci also urged city leaders to prioritize traffic safety. “Traffic safety needs to be a real priority right now,” Ricci said. Under the proposal, fines would increase with repeat violations:

  • First offense: $500
  • Second offense: $2,500
  • Third or subsequent offense: $5,000

Some residents questioned whether minors should face penalties immediately, particularly for violations that do not involve street takeovers. “I ask if a first non-takeover offense by a minor could start with a warning and a course instead,” one resident said. The proposed ordinance would allow police to require safety courses for minors. Officers could also impound bicycles for up to 30 days when necessary to prevent further dangerous riding or protect public safety.

Parents could face fines of up to $2,000 per minor if they assist, authorize or permit their children to violate the proposed rules. Police officials told the council that street takeovers have involved adults as well as younger riders. “We’ve had adults out there!” the police chief said. The proposal also includes a 15-mile-per-hour speed limit on city parks and trails, raising questions about how officers would enforce the restriction. One councilwoman questioned how police would identify and address riders who exceed the proposed limit.

Mayor Sue Zwahlen said the city wants residents to continue using its outdoor spaces. “We want people to walk and use our trails to bike. That’s what we want,” Zwahlen said. The proposal leaves questions about how parental responsibility would be determined. While it identifies circumstances in which parents could be fined, it does not specify exactly what police would need to prove to hold a parent responsible. The council’s action advances the ordinance, but it still requires final adoption before becoming law. If approved, the rules would take effect 30 days after the final vote.

Source: Modesto considers fines up to $5,000 for reckless bike riding – CBS Sacramento

Who builds his upper chambers in the heavens and founds his vault upon the earth; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth— the LORD is his name.
Amos 9:6

Powerful earthquake shakes Panama

A major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 has struck Panama, according to the US Geological Survey. Local media are reporting structural damage in some parts of…

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Plague in Russia?

Russian authorities have sought to allay global worries over the death of a young woman who worked at a Siberian anti-plague laboratory. But moves to isolate her contacts…

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Finding Refuge in God During Life’s Storms

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Sunlight beam shining through clouds onto desert rock formations at sunset

When life feels like it’s falling apart, God remains your safest place. Even when everything shakes, His strength never does.

 Bible Verse:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. Psalm 46:1–3

God is our shelter and someone we can lean on when the world trembles. Even as confusion surrounds us and foundations shake, He is there unshakeable and standing firm. Fear can not hold and choke us when we run to Him. Today, place and cover your heart in this truth: God is near, He is powerful, and He is enough in every storm. Remember God’s presence is stronger than any threat. Praise and unshakable faith begins with trust. So take a breath and allow Him to take control.

Thought to Ponder:
If God is truly my refuge, why do I sometimes run to fear before I run to Him?

Journaling Prompt:
Write about a season when life felt unstable. How did you see God sustain you through it?

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, be my refuge today. Help me praise You instead of panicking. Give me strength when I feel like I do not have any. Guide every step I take and be my light in the dark. In Jesus Name Amen

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…...

Galatians 1:6-10

“When truth becomes negotiable, faith becomes vulnerable so know the Gospel, stand on God’s Word, and seek His approval above the world’s applause.”…

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by Drink of Jesus


Arkansas alligator hunters fill 197 tags | Outdoors | magnoliareporter.com

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The climbing alligator harvest in Arkansas has led to decreases in nuisance calls involving the reptile. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission members heard last week a presentation from AGFC herpetologist Amanda Bryant on the 2026 alligator harvest. She also reported on an alligator research project with Clemson University. According to Bryant, 197 of the 212 alligator tags available were filled this year. While private land hunters exceeded their quota by a single alligator, public land hunters maintained a 64 percent harvest rate.

Twenty-eight alligators were taken on public land, leaving 16 tags unfilled. Private land hunters harvested 169 alligators. “We also continue to see a reduction in the number of nuisance alligator calls as the harvest has climbed,” Bryant said. Bryant also spoke about an alligator tagging and recapture study that’s in its second year with Clemson. AGFC staff assisted researchers in catching, tagging and recording data on 76 alligators before the 2026 hunting season.

“The information will help verify spotlight surveys as well as information on growth in our alligators through reports of harvested alligator tags and alligators we recapture in the future,” Bryant said. “It also was a great opportunity to have staff training on alligator handling, and we had staff from every fisheries division section engaged.”

Source: Arkansas alligator hunters fill 197 tags | Outdoors | magnoliareporter.com

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2

Isaiah 45:2

“I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, This verse…

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Oregon’s Tiny Pygmy Owls: Our Adorable Murder Machines

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Oregon’s northern pygmy owls may look adorable, but these tiny birds are fierce predators. They stand roughly 6 to 7 inches tall and weigh between 2.1 and 2.5 ounces. In Siuslaw National Forest, an owl was photographed carrying a northern alligator lizard. These daytime hunters eat mice, insects and birds, sometimes killing prey far heavier than themselves. Dark markings on the backs of their heads resemble a second pair of eyes. They nest in existing tree cavities, often excavated by woodpeckers.

Source: Oregon’s Tiny Pygmy Owls: Our Adorable Murder Machines

And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Colossians 3:14

Psalm 5:8

Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. In the verse David is praying in the morning while people…

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Family of barn owls on the Upper West Side captivates New York City birders

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A family of barn owls has been spotted on the Upper West Side.  Birders are heading uptown after dark to get a look.  The owls have become the talk of the Upper West Side.  “Residents of the surrounding block began hearing loud noises at night, loud raspy screeching noises. And that alerted them there’s something going on,” birder David Barrett said.  Barrett runs the Manhattan Bird Alert account on X. He photographed two adult barn owls, and up to six adolescents.

They’ve nested in the hole of a water tower near 76th Street and Central Park West.  Owls are nocturnal, so birders have been flocking up to the site at night, hoping to catch a glimpse.  “It’s amazing. Five owls. Nobody’s seen five owls before in New York City,” birder Po Mang said.  “It’s a truly special experience … that people can come out to a public space like this and look at these owls at night,” Barrett said.  According to New York City’s Parks Department, barn owls are an extremely rare sight. Experts say it’s the first time barn owls are known to have nested in Manhattan.  “The presence of a nest right in the middle of the country’s biggest city is really exciting,” Jessica Wilson of the New York City Bird Alliance said. 

Wilson said owls eat mice and rats, which exposes them to risk.  “Rats in New York City are often poisoned by rodenticide, meant to kill the rats. But actually what it does is kill the predators that feed on those rats. And if barn owls are eating several rats a day, they are likely to fall prey to this horrible death,” Wilson said.  The young owls have started taking test flights around the water tower at night as the parents hunt for food. For now, that gives New Yorkers one more reason to stop, look up, and be amazed. 

Source: Family of barn owls on the Upper West Side captivates New York City birders – CBS New York

Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared?
Proverbs 6:28

A study of the Mesha Stele

The Mesha Stele, also famously known as the Moabite Stone, is a 3-foot-tall black basalt monument dating back to circa 840 BCE. It is one of the…

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How Does A Murderer Get Lifesaving Care But Babies Are Left To Die?

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Let the contrast sink in: when the state’s attempt to kill a convicted murderer fails, doctors rush to save her life. When a mother’s attempt to kill an innocent child fails, Congress still argues over whether the law should explicitly require appropriate care. Christa Pike was convicted of the brutal murder of her classmate and sentenced to death. Tennessee’s execution attempt Thursday failed. Now she is in critical condition and receiving lifesaving care, according to her lawyer. The rationale is that even a person guilty of murder must not suffer needlessly. Many forms of executions are no longer used because they’re considered cruel.

But what about the barbaric executions we still routinely perform on children? What about the baby who survives an abortion attempt? What kind of society believes that even the people who commit the worst, most detestably evil crimes deserve humane treatment, but children can be viciously murdered at whim by tearing them apart limb from limb in the womb? That child has committed no crime. There was no due process, no trial, no conviction, no sentence—only a tiny, helpless human being who is alive and entirely dependent on adults to protect him or her. Yet abortion is the leading cause of death in the United States. The procedures can only be described as excessively and senselessly cruel.

Reported cases on babies that survived abortion show that some have been left without life-saving treatment. Minnesota recorded three infants born alive after abortions in 2017; none survived. One received “comfort care” and another received no specific care. A former labor-and-delivery nurse testified that she cradled a baby born alive after an abortion at a Chicago hospital while the infant died. Let the contrast sink in: when the state’s attempt to kill a convicted murderer fails, doctors rush to save her life. When a mother’s attempt to kill an innocent child fails, Congress still argues over whether the law should explicitly require appropriate care. The House passed such a bill in 2025.

It has not become law.  An innocent baby deserves protection—without political hesitation and without exceptions based on how that child came to be conceived or born. If we can insist on compassion and competent care for the rightly condemned, we have no excuse for withholding it from the innocent who rightly deserve life.

Source: How Does A Murderer Get Lifesaving Care But Babies Are Left To Die? – Harbinger’s Daily

A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1

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China expands ultra-deep oil and gas drilling efforts

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crane bird on a meadow

China is expanding its efforts to drill ultra-deep oil and gas wells — defined as more than three-and-a-half miles deep — as the world’s largest crude importer steps up domestic exploration. Like the US, China also broke oil and gas production records in 2025, though it has hastened its efforts this year in a bid to shield itself from war-related vicissitudes in global energy markets, The South China Morning Post reported, reflecting one prong of Beijing’s variegated energy approach. China’s “enormous oil stockpiles, overland pipelines, new technologies to convert coal to chemicals, and embrace of green technologies have given Beijing strategic leverage” over its island neighbors, which remain cripplingly dependent on imported energy, Semafor’s China columnist argued.

Source: China expands ultra-deep oil and gas drilling efforts | Semafor

I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.
Genesis 9:13

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Mountain lion sighting reported in southwest Kansas

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Mountain lion crossing a forest trail through pine trees

A mountain lion has been spotted again in southwest Kansas, marking the latest of several sightings across the state. The Haskell County Sheriff’s Office said the animal was seen Monday morning on the east side of Satanta, crossing U.S. Highway 56 and heading south. Satanta is about 30 miles north of Liberal. New evidence offers an answer Deputies notified Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks game wardens, who are monitoring for more reports. The sighting follows similar reports in August near Liberal and just outside Inman. Wildlife officials say mountain lion sightings have increased in recent years as the animals occasionally pass through Kansas.

Once common in the state, mountain lions were pushed out by settlers and hunting. KDWP investigates every report and notes that one transient animal moving across large distances can be the source of multiple sightings. While a few cases have involved repeated sightings in the same general area, officials say there’s no evidence of a resident or breeding population in Kansas. They also report no confirmed attacks on livestock. Wildlife experts emphasize that mountain lions are elusive and avoid people, making encounters extremely rare. To help you distinguish a mountain lion from other animals, KDWP offers these identification tips: Size: Mountain lions can reach up to 8 feet from nose to tail and stand about 30 inches at the shoulder. Bobcats are much smaller — around 3 feet long and 24 inches tall.

Color: Adults are typically one color, ranging from yellowish to tan, with black markings on the muzzle and tail tip. Only kittens have spots. Tail: Mountain lions have long, slender tails; bobcats have short, stubby ones. Facial features: Mountain lions lack the facial tufts and white ear markings seen on bobcats. Tracks: Mountain lion tracks usually do not show claw marks, unlike dogs or coyotes. KDWP encourages anyone who believes they’ve seen a mountain lion to report it, especially if photos or video are available. Sightings can be submitted through the department’s online reporting system.

Source: Mountain lion sighting reported in southwest Kansas

So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Hebrews 9:28

Hope in the dark

Pip: A mountain village, a wandering stranger, a mother weaving a basket by the river — Drink of Jesus has been building a world where ancient scripture lands like it’s…

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God as Your Ever-Present Help

You don’t have to carry this alone, He is your safe place and your help in every moment of need.  Bible Verse:God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable…

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Boil water advisory issued for southwest Atlanta, South Fulton, Fairburn and Union City

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Stainless-steel pot of boiling water on a gas stove

Residents and businesses in parts of southwest Atlanta, South Fulton, Fairburn and Union City are being told to boil tap water before using it or use bottled water following a water supply interruption. Atlanta Watershed Management issued the boil water advisory Sunday, Oct. 11, after an interruption affecting the Chattahoochee Water Treatment Plant.

People in the affected area should bring tap water to a rolling boil for one minute, then let it cool before drinking, cooking, preparing baby food or brushing their teeth. Bottled water can be used instead. Officials also advised people not to drink from public water fountains in the affected area.

Source: Boil water advisory issued for southwest Atlanta, South Fulton, Fairburn and Union City – CBS Atlanta

Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him.
James 1:12

The Distraction of Fear

Fear has a way of making tomorrow feel more real than today. But you were never meant to live inside a future that hasn’t happened…

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Too Busy to Hear God

You can be so busy doing things for God that you never stop long enough to hear from God. Sometimes the biggest distraction in your…

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Who Has Your Attention?

Your attention is one of the most valuable things you own, and everyone wants a piece of it. The question isn’t whether something is getting…

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US agents search Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home as part of criminal probe

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Investigators carry evidence cases outside a government building near police vehicles

Federal agents searched Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home on Monday as part of a criminal investigation, according to two people familiar with the matter. The search was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations agents, said the people, who were not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. More details about the investigation and its focus were not immediately clear, though Vice President JD Vance last May signaled that the Trump administration would investigate Omar for immigration fraud allegations, which she has denied. An email seeking comment was sent Monday to a representative for Omar.

The Justice Department said in a statement Monday that HSI agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the department in the Washington, D.C., area but provided no other details. “This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation,” the department said. A message left with the Department of Homeland Security, of which Homeland Security Investigations is part, was not immediately returned. Omar, 44, represents Minnesota’s 5th District, including Minneapolis. She was first elected to the House in 2018 and has been known as a member of what’s called The Squad of female lawmakers known for their progressive views and pointed opposition to the Republican president. Republicans have raised questions about Omar’s past since before she was even elected, including asserting that she had married her brother and committed immigration fraud.

Omar has broadly denied the allegations as “disgusting lies.” “It certainly seems like something fishy is there, but everybody’s entitled to equal justice under the laws,” Vance told reporters in May. “So we’re going to investigate it. We’re going to take a look at it. If we think there’s a crime, we’re going to prosecute that crime.”

Source: US agents search Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home as part of criminal probe: AP sources | AP News

But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.
Hebrews 8:6

Finding Strength in God

You don’t have to carry this alone, He is your safe place and your help in every moment of need.  Bible Verse:God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable…

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Faith Under Pressure

Pip: Drink of Jesus is a site that treats ancient Scripture the way a good contractor treats load-bearing walls — you don’t move them just because the room looks dated.…

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Great Value and Trader Joe Fruit Recall

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October 02, 2026. Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., San Carlos, Chile expands its previously initiated recalls on July 3, 2026 and September 3,2026 recall of frozen organic IQF blueberries and berry blends to include additional lots of Great Value frozen Organic Triple Berry Blend 10 OZ, Great Value frozen Organic Blueberries 10 OZ and one Lot of Trader Joe’s frozen Organic Mixed Berry Blend because of potential contamination with Escherichia coli O145:H28 (E. coli O145). E. coli O145 is a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) that can cause illness characterized by severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (which may be bloody), and vomiting. While most healthy individuals recover within a week, some infections may result in a serious complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), particularly in young children, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems.

The recalled Great Value product was shipped to select Walmart stores in 30 states including:

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia, along with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Consumers should check their freezers for the affected product.

The recalled Trader Joe’s product was shipped to select Trader Joe’s stores in 26 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin, along with the District of Columbia.

The affected products are:

Product: Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend 10 OZ (Including Strawberries, Blackberries and Blueberries), with UPC: 7874211226 Package Size: 10 oz Lot Code: 6 031 01, 6 041 01 (in front of the package) Best If Used By Date: January 31, 2028 and February 10, 2028

Product: Great Value Organic Blueberries 10 OZ, with UPC: 7874211213 Package Size: 10 oz Lot Code: 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01 (in front of the package) Best If Used By Date: January 19, 2028; February 9, 2028 and June 12, 2028.

Product: Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend 12 OZ with UPC: 00977654 Package Size: 12 oz Lot Code: 6 051 01 (in back of the package) Best Before Date: February 20, 2028

Consumers who have:

  • Great Value Organic Triple Berry 10 OZ with lot code 6 031 01, 6 041 01,
  • Great Value Organic Blueberries 10 OZ with lot code 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01
  • Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend 12 OZ with lot code 6 051 01
  • Consumers should not consume those products.

The product should be discarded or returned to Walmart or Trader Joe’s for a full refund. This market action is taken as a precautionary measure following traceback information linked to frozen blueberries which were the subject of the first recall on July 3, 2026. Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. is working closely with the appropriate regulatory authorities and its customers regarding this recall.

Source: Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. Expands Recalls to Include Additional Lots of Great Value Frozen Organic Triple Berry Blend 10 OZ, Great Value Frozen Organic Blueberries 10 OZ and One Lot of Trader Joe’s Frozen Organic Mixed Berry Blend 12 OZ Because of Potential Contamination with E. coli O145 | FDA

You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, So my feet did not slip.
Psalm 18:35-36

The Weight of Leadership

“A church can survive criticism, but it cannot thrive without integrity. When spiritual leaders forget they answer first to God, the flock always bears the wounds.” “Not…

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Heaven is for Real Movie

“Heaven is for Real” is a faith-based family drama inspired by a Nebraska Pastor Tood Burpo’s best-selling book about his 4 years old son (Colton Burpo) who…

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God’s Here

After losing his wife and son in a tragic accident, a firefighter wrestles with grief and forgiveness. Starring Kevin Sorbo (God’s Not Dead), Sarah Elizabeth Reeves Director:…

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Litter of mountain lion kittens discovered in Southern California hills

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Three blue-eyed mountain lion kittens have been discovered in the hills of Southern California, offering a hopeful glimpse into the future of a cougar population threatened by habitat loss and urban development. National Park Service biologists recently located the roughly 3-week-old kittens in a den in the Simi Hills, north of the 101 Freeway, according to the Ventura County Star. The litter includes one male and two females, all of which appeared healthy during brief examinations, wildlife biologist Jeff Sikich told the newspaper.

The kittens have been designated P-141, P-142 and P-143. The discovery came after GPS tracking data suggested P-113, who wears a monitoring collar, had been spending an extended period in one location. Researchers hiked into the area and found the kittens. According to the Ventura County Star, P-113 had been seen traveling with a male mountain lion, P-124, several months earlier. Mountain lions typically have a gestation period of about 90 days. Now, researchers are watching her raise her first litter. The kittens could eventually play an important role in the survival of Southern California’s mountain lions. The cougar population in the Santa Monica Mountains has become increasingly isolated by freeways and development, contributing to inbreeding, low genetic diversity and deadly conflicts between mountain lions.

Researchers hope the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over the 101 Freeway, expected to open later this year, will help reconnect the isolated populations. If any of the newly discovered kittens eventually cross into the Santa Monica Mountains, they could help introduce much-needed genetic diversity, Sikich told the Ventura County Star. For now, the kittens are expected to remain with their mother for approximately 18 months before venturing out on their own.

Source: Litter of mountain lion kittens discovered in Southern California hills | KTLA

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9

Feeling Alone? God Sees You

Even when you feel invisible in your struggle, God sees every tear, every burden, and every silent prayer. Your exhaustion has not escaped His attention. “The Lord is close…

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Jesus Revolution

In the 1970s, young Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) is searching for all the right things in all the wrong places: until he meets Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic…

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Hurricane slams South, leaving outages, 4 deaths

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Hurricane Damage

Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias was moving northeast through central Alabama near Birmingham on Saturday after roaring ashore as a Category 2 hurricane late Friday evening near Destin, Florida, with winds of about 105 mph, causing at least four deaths. Trees and power lines were down in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, creating dangerous conditions and forcing road closures late Friday, officials said. Power outages are in the hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across much of Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and western Georgia. At least four people have been reported killed in the storm, two each in Alabama and Florida, authorities said Saturday.

The storm broke a two-year drought of U.S. hurricane landfalls, with the most recent being Hurricane Milton in October 2024, two years to the day before Isaias made landfall. The center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias was moving north over Alabama on Saturday and is expected to reach the Tennessee Valley later in the day and into Sunday, when it will make a northeastward turn. As of 5 p.m. ET Saturday, the center of Isaias was about 5 miles west of Birmingham, Alabama, moving northeast at 15 mph, according to the National Weather Service. The storm is forecast to continue inland and weaken further.

Source: Hurricane slams South, leaving outages, 4 deaths

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Romans 13:9

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Hurricane Simon strengthens into Category 4 storm as it takes aim at Mexico’s Pacific coast

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Simon has strengthened into a powerful Category 4 hurricane as it barrels toward Mexico’s Pacific coast. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Saturday that Simon’s maximum sustained winds increased to 155 miles per hour. The hurricane center said it expects Simon to approach Mexico’s west-central coast on Sunday as a major hurricane, which is defined as a Category 3 storm or stronger, with winds of at least 111 mph. Simon on Saturday night was just below a Category 5 classification, which requires maximum sustained winds of 157 mph.

Forecasters said that Simon could weaken rapidly if its core moves fully onshore once it makes landfall. The hurricane could bring as much as 10 to 20 inches of rain over parts of southwestern Mexico, with some areas in the states of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco receiving up to 30 inches. “This rainfall will produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain,” the center warned in a bulletin that also urged residents to take immediate action to prepare as tropical storm conditions arrived Saturday afternoon. According to the hurricane center, Simon was about 65 miles south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, on Saturday and moving slowly northward at 5 mph. “Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion in the hurricane warning area before conditions deteriorate later tonight,” the hurricane center warned. Jalisco state suspended classes on Monday in 22 coastal municipalities and began evacuating dozens of people from at-risk areas.

It also asked the tourism sector in Puerto Vallarta, a popular destination for U.S. tourists, to ensure that both workers and visitors were fully accommodated in shelters or safe zones by Friday afternoon. Convenience stores, hotels and other businesses in Puerto Vallarta were boarding up their windows Saturday morning, when few were walking the streets under overcast skies. “Let’s hope it doesn’t hit us, right? That it doesn’t affect us,” Jesús Gómez said as he stood outside a shop and handed out free samples of candied peanuts to passersby. “We’ll be working as usual throughout the day, but when Civil Protection officials come and tell us we need to close, then we’ll close and take shelter until the storm passes.” The hurricane center expected a dangerous storm surge “along the immediate coast near and to the east of where the center makes landfall.” The agency warned that near the coast, large and destructive waves will accompany the surge.

Meanwhile, Canadian tourist Ed Currie, who along with his wife still has five more days to enjoy Puerto Vallarta, said the hurricane had not yet affected his plans. “Just stay in the hotel and look out the window hopefully,” he said of what the couple would do Saturday. “I just don’t know what to expect.”  Unlike the Atlantic, which saw just its first named hurricane of the season this week with Isaias, the Pacific season has been very active. Simon’s arrival comes on the heels of Polo, which slammed Mexico last week as a Category 2 hurricane before reaching the southwestern U.S. and bringing heavy flooding to the region. 

Source: Hurricane Simon strengthens into Category 4 storm as it takes aim at Mexico’s Pacific coast – CBS Miami

Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.
Romans 12:12

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Northeast Philadelphia residents frustrated by ongoing rat problem: “You can’t live like this”

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Tree-lined residential street with row houses and parked cars

Residents in several lower Northeast Philadelphia neighborhoods say a growing rat problem is disrupting daily life, damaging property and raising health concerns. Now, City Council is calling for a more aggressive response. Residents in Oxford Circle, Castor Gardens and Summerdale said rats have become difficult to control in recent months, despite efforts to keep the rodents away. “They’re pretty big. They’re not small rats,” Eugene Rivers, an Oxford Circle resident, said.

“They’re pretty big.” Rivers said rats tear open trash bags, scatter garbage and startle residents walking outside at night. “They’re everywhere,” he said. Although the rats have been a longstanding problem, residents said the infestation has worsened in recent months. Their attempts to control it have brought little relief. “I’m ready to relocate,” Gail Burris, another Oxford Circle resident, said. Burris said neighbors have tried poison, peppermint spray, mothballs and even freezing their trash until collection day. She said rats continue to damage cars and burrow in yards. “You can’t live like this,” Burris said.

“My grandkids get in my car, and they’re like, ‘Why do we smell mothballs, Mom-Mom?’ It’s just a lot. It’s a lot.” Philadelphia City Council member Dr. Anthony Phillips, who represents the 9th District, said the city needs to take stronger action to address the infestation. “I feel like the city has not responded in a way that is arduous,” Phillips said. Phillips recently proposed a resolution urging the city’s sanitation, public health and licenses and inspections departments to coordinate their efforts to combat the problem. The resolution calls for a targeted response that addresses vacant properties, improperly stored trash and repeat offenders, including the use of hefty fines.

City Council unanimously approved the resolution, recognizing the rat infestation as a public health emergency. Phillips said residents who properly maintain their properties are also suffering because of the actions of others. “There’s a lot of good neighbors in this community that are suffering because there are individuals that are not necessarily cleaning up after themselves,” he said. City officials are urging residents to store trash in hard-sided containers and limit the amount of time garbage sits on the curb before collection. Residents can report rat activity by calling 215-685-9000.

Source: Northeast Philadelphia residents frustrated by ongoing rat problem: “You can’t live like this” – CBS Philadelphia

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24

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Coyote decoys help keep geese out of Royal Athletic Park

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Huge flock of geese in Canadian park

The City of Victoria’s ­ongoing battle with large flocks of ­Canada geese damaging the field at Royal Athletic Park has gone to the dogs. In a bid to protect the playing surface, the city’s parks ­department has for the last few weeks been using a pair of coyote decoys to scare geese from the pitch. So far, it appears to be working. “Initially I’d say it’s been very effective, but time will tell,” said Brooke Stark, Victoria’s ­assistant director of parks and open spaces. “This is a tool that we thought we should give a try.

Royal Athletic Park is a premier sporting facility and we want to make sure the facility is maintained.” Stark said the geese have been a problem at the facility for years, but managing them in a humane way has been a challenge. The Capital Regional District in 2023 approved a Canada geese management strategy to reduce the impact of the birds’ rapidly growing population in the region. It included an egg-addling program — a technique that renders the embryo in an egg non-viable — and culling some birds. It also looked at modifying habitat to deter geese, including planting trees and hedges to prevent easy access to water from land, and using new grass seed mixes that are less palatable to the birds. The problem with large goose populations, according to the CRD, is that they can lead to high amounts of fecal matter in the water and on land, raising levels of fecal coliform and other pathogens, such as avian influenza and salmonella. In a report, the CRD said some playing fields have at times been rendered unusable because of the volume of goose droppings.

Stark said the experiment at Royal Athletic Park started with two stationary coyotes, which staff would move periodically based on the behaviour of the birds on the field. They have since ramped up their game, however, affixing one of the two stationary coyotes onto an autonomous grass mower. “It’s not actually mowing, but the coyote decoy is on top and moves around the field overnight.” Stark said the hope is that the geese will not be able to get used to having the decoys moving. “It’s like owl decoys on the roofs of buildings — sometimes birds get used to those, so here in the field we want to make sure the birds don’t get too used to it, and the mower changes direction, often in an ­unpredictable way.” Stark said the city is monitoring the decoy program and will be reporting back to the CRD on how effective it is, and how long it takes the geese to learn what the coyote mannequins are up to.

“Hopefully by changing up the location and how it moves, it will help extend the time that this is effective,” she said, adding the program could be expanded. “So far, two seems to be working, but again, geese are smart and they’ll figure it out. “It’s just one of a suite of tools and different things that we can do to help minimize their damage to the field.” She said there are no immediate plans to expand to other playing fields in the city, adding Royal Athletic Park is of particular concern, as it is enclosed and the geese feel quite safe there.

“So, we’re trialing at Royal Athletic Park, and being a secure facility, we can put things out like this overnight.” When the CRD adopted its goose management strategy, the region was experiencing ongoing problems with geese damaging farmers’ fields and sensitive ecosystems, as well as accumulations of feces on fields and playgrounds. At the time, the regional district said local goose numbers were doubling every four years. Many of the Canada geese on Vancouver Island today are descendants of those brought to B.C. starting in the 1950s and into the 1980s in part to offer more hunting opportunities.

Prior to that, the Island’s goose population had been relatively modest. Stark said she doesn’t know if the city has been getting calls from residents concerned about prowling coyotes in the North Park neighbourhood, but they have been fielding calls asking if dogs are now allowed in Royal Athletic Park. The answer to that remains no.

Source: Coyote decoys help keep geese out of Royal Athletic Park – Victoria Times Colonist

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
Luke 12:32

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Monarch butterflies find a vital stopover at Gibbs Gardens during their 3,000-mile migration

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Every fall, one of nature’s most remarkable migrations passes through Georgia, carried on wings so delicate they seem hardly suited for the journey ahead. Generations of Monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles from their summer breeding grounds in Canada and the northern United States to the mountains of central Mexico, where they spend the winter. Along the way, they need somewhere to eat. At Gibbs Gardens in Cherokee County, a sprawling meadow of cosmos, zinnias and other wildflowers has become something of a roadside diner for butterflies on the move.

“The monarchs, they have to refuel every single day,” said Eric Johnson, a horticulturist and host of PBS’s GardenSmart.  “Every day they have to find a nectar source.” And finding those sources has become increasingly difficult.  “If they can’t refuel, those are butterflies that don’t make it,” Johnson said. Gibbs Gardens is the life’s work of landscape designer Jim Gibbs, who began developing his vision for a world-class garden north of Atlanta in the 1970s. Today, the 376-acre estate includes approximately 220 acres of landscaped gardens, many inspired by Gibbs’ travels in Japan.  Its celebrated daffodil festival was named the nation’s top flower festival in USA TODAY’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.

But among the property’s carefully cultivated landscapes is a meadow with a purpose that extends well beyond its appearance.  Originally planted to support honeybees, the meadow was later adapted to help monarch butterflies. “It was in 2021, when the monarch populations were collapsing, [Gibbs] repurposed this garden significantly to have it focus largely on the monarch population,” Johnson said. The flowers provide nectar, giving migrating butterflies the energy they need to continue their journey south. 

And those stops can make the difference between completing the migration and falling short. The eastern migratory monarch population has declined by an estimated 80% since the mid-1990s, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Habitat loss, pesticide exposure and climate change are among the threats facing the species.  Although monarch populations fluctuate from year to year, their long-term decline has raised concerns about the survival of one of North America’s best-known migrations. For Johnson, the connection between conservation and gardening is direct.  “What we do as gardeners absolutely makes a difference,” he said. The nectar-producing flowers at Gibbs Gardens provide fuel for adult monarchs. But another plant is essential to producing the next generation:  milkweed.

Female monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed plants, and their caterpillars depend on milkweed leaves for food.  Without it, monarchs cannot successfully reproduce.  As native milkweed habitat has disappeared from roadsides, fields and other open spaces, the butterflies have lost critical breeding grounds.  That means even relatively small planting decisions can make a difference. “The most important thing that homeowners could do if you care about the survival of monarchs, even if you just have a little corner of your garden and you can plant some milkweed and then some good nectar-producing flowering plants,” Johnson said. Native milkweed varieties appropriate for Georgia, combined with flowers that bloom throughout the growing season, can help support monarchs and other pollinators.

Monarchs generally pass through north Georgia during their fall migration from late September into mid-October, with the timing and number of butterflies varying from year to year. Gibbs Gardens, in Ball Ground, is open to the public during its seasonal operating schedule.  Visitors can purchase admission to explore the gardens, including the flowering landscapes that attract migrating butterflies. A sighting is never guaranteed.  The butterflies are wild, and their movements depend on weather, migration conditions and the availability of nectar. 

On a recent visit to the gardens by CBS News, monarchs by the hundreds were observed in an almost dancing movement across the tops of the flowers. It is an extraordinary journey unfolding close to Metro Atlanta.  For the monarchs, the trip to Mexico can stretch as far as 3,000 miles.  Whether they complete it may depend, in part, on what is growing in places like Gibbs Gardens — or even in an ordinary Georgia backyard.

Source: Monarch butterflies find a vital stopover at Gibbs Gardens during their 3,000-mile migration – CBS Atlanta

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
Romans 6:1-2

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Bus driver removed after stopping to rescue injured kitten

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getting to the bus on time

Some Harford County parents are speaking out after their children’s longtime school bus driver was removed from her route after allegedly allowing a student to get off the bus to rescue an injured kitten. Cynthia Morgan, who drove students in the district for 11 years, told CBS News Baltimore she is devastated by the decision. Parents say they understand the safety concerns but believe removing Morgan from her route was excessive. Video recorded on Heaps School Road shows little traffic on the rural road, a detail parents say is important to understanding what happened.

“We live in North Harford, so it’s very rural out here, off of Heaps School Road, a very low-traffic road,” parent Carolyn Kalambihis said. “She wouldn’t have done it, let a child get off the bus to get a kitten if it was a more high-traffic road.” Morgan was removed from her route this week after she allegedly allowed a student to get off the bus to pick up an injured kitten. Morgan confirmed the account to CBS News Baltimore but declined to speak on camera. Kalambihis acknowledged the potential safety risks but said she believes Morgan understands that allowing a student off the bus was a mistake.

“It’s definitely a concern for safety. There is no question that it was a mistake,” Kalambihis said. “It shouldn’t have happened. I believe she knows that and understands, and looking back, knows she made a mistake and should not have done what she did.”

Parents rally behind longtime bus driver

Kalambihis said Morgan drove her children to North Harford Elementary School for five years and became someone they looked forward to seeing each day. “She is an angel. She is the most caring person,” Kalambihis said. “Every year at the beginning of the school year she buys every child on the bus school supplies. She buys them gifts for Christmas, every holiday, birthdays she gives them birthday cards, all out of her own pocket. She just does it because it makes her feel good.” Harford County Public Schools said Morgan was employed by an independent contractor, not directly by the school district.

However, the district is responsible for certifying drivers who transport students for its schools. In a statement to CBS News Baltimore, the district said, in part, “Certification and decertification are not always based on a single factor but often involve consideration of multiple circumstances and requirements…. Student safety remains our top priority, and all certification decisions are made with that responsibility in mind.” The district declined to comment on Morgan’s specific situation.

Petition calls for her return

Kalambihis and other parents are circulating a petition calling for Morgan to be allowed to return to her route. “We just feel the way that it was handled was not appropriate,” Kalambihis said. “We feel that termination was a little excessive, an overreaction by the Department of Transportation through HCPS. I think it could have been handled in a lot of other ways.” Cleary Inc. employs bus drivers who transport students for Harford County Public Schools. CBS News Baltimore reached out to the company for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Source: Harford County parents rally behind bus driver removed after stopping to rescue injured kitten – CBS Baltimore

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
Ephesians 5:1

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Did grizzly bears once roam the Texas South Plains?

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Grizzly bear drinking from a stream in an autumn mountain valley

Did Grizzly Bears once roam the South Plains? Did the largest predator and the most feared animal in North America ever inhabit the Llano Estacado? Historians and biologists have mixed opinions on the subject. No written accounts from the settlement period mention one, no stories describe an encounter with ursus arctos horribilius, which surely would have been remembered. There are Native American tales of encounters with “bears” on the Llano, but they do not distinguish the breed of bear encountered. Bear fossils suggest bears migrated from Asia about 8 million years ago and separated into two white bears that populated polar regions and a smaller black bears that inhabited forested regions.

Grizzlies evolved from white bears about 200,000 years ago and spread far into the Great Plains feeding on the large ungulates that grazed there. Bear names populate place names throughout America; Bear Wallow, Bear Creek, and even Cub Run testifying to the wide-ranging habitat of bears. Undoubtably most bear names are from encounters with Black Bears, but the further one travels west the more likelihood bear place names were named for Grizzlies. To the untrained eye and depending on the season and the climate, distinguishing the difference between the two bears was difficult. The only written account of a Grizzly bear encounter in west Texas occurred in the Davis Mountains in 1890. The encounter did not end well for the bear. During their annual fall hunt, C. O. Finley and John Z. Means shot and killed a large male bear who it was believed wandered into the trans-Pecos of West Texas from either Sonora, Mexico or from the mountains of eastern New Mexico.

It was estimated that the bear weighed 800 pounds. It took four men to lift its hide onto a mule that carried it back to their camp, twenty miles away. An encounter with a Grizzly was truly an encounter you would not easily forget. Adult males could tip the scales at 1,100 pounds; they could reach the height of seven feet but it was their temperament more than their sheer physical size that terrified people. When startled, or threatened, or in the case of a sow, if she felt her cubs were in danger, grizzlies would attack a person in the most terrifying manner. Remarkably fast for their size, they can outrun a man, even in rough mountainous terrain. One’s only hope if caught in this situation was a nearby climbable tree. A human had little chance of surviving a Grizzly mauling.

Early explores of the American West and Great Plains relate that great numbers of Grizzlies which populated the Great Plains. In Lewis and Clark’s famous “journey of discovery” their journals relate several encounters with Grizzlies while they traveled across the Great Plains before they reached the Rockies. Grizzlies probably occurred sparingly on the Caprock up until the early exploration of West Texas. Some historians and biologists believe the Great Plains was a “primary Grizzly range” since the scavenged remains of bison played an important part of their diet. In the early 19th century when you entered buffalo country you entered Grizzly country.

Grizzlies played an important role in the ecology in which they lived, not only were they the “key stone” predator preying upon, bison, deer, elk and a variety of smaller game, but as omnivores they ate a wide variety of plants especially in the spring after their winter hibernation ended. Although Grizzlies in southern climates may not have hibernated. But with the disappearance of the buffalo on the South Plains in the late 1870’s, Grizzly’s natural range shrank and they retreated back into more isolated mountainous areas. Therefore, early ranchers and settlers of the Llano did not record any encounters with Grizzlies. It is surmised that in 1600 at least 56,000 Grizzlies roamed the lower 48 states, with their range extending from the shores of California, where they prospered, all the way east to the 100 meridian.

But pressures from unrestricted hunting, loss of habitat to cattle ranchers, and loss of the traditional food sources sealed their doom. By 1950, only 750 Grizzly bears remained in the continental United States. But today the outlook for Grizzlies appears to be good as their numbers are on the increase in the states of the inter-mountain west, Alaska, and Yellowstone National Park. With careful management and increased public awareness perhaps one of the most iconic animals in North America, second only to the bison, can once more prosper in its “home range.”

Source: Caprock Chronicles: Did grizzly bears once roamed Texas South Plains?B

For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.
Jeremiah 31:25

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Iranian operatives used AI to plant fake stories in multiple US media outlets

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Iranian flag displayed behind a computer monitor on a desk

Operatives in Iran used OpenAI models and fake personas to help plant news articles critical of the US war against Iran in multiple US media outlets, OpenAI said on Thursday. About a dozen outlets around the world ran roughly 100 articles by seven fake journalists, OpenAI said in a blog post. The firm said it banned ChatGPT accounts that were prompting the AI tool in Farsi to tweak articles and editorial pitches, and generate social media comments. Some of the AI-assisted articles had provocative titles, including, “Is America’s Iran Policy Being Privatized? The Jared Kushner Question,” and “The Iran War and the Collapse of Western Moral Credibility.”

It’s the latest example of AI agents playing a key role in the propaganda battles that coincide with the US and Israel’s war with Iran. Young Iranians have also used AI to make viral Lego-themed videos mocking US leaders, while President Donald Trump has posted AI-generated videos depicting US strikes on Iran. None of the publications that ran the articles appear to be a major, mainstream news outlet, but some of them have sizable online followings.

One of the outlets, Middle East Monitor, which is based in London, has almost two million followers on Facebook. Getting the anti-war narratives in front of a US audience could count as a successful information operation for whoever was behind it. Who that is, and whether they’re affiliated with the Iranian government, is unclear, OpenAI said. “The overall activity appeared consistent with a commercial actor running a for-hire influence campaign, but we are unable to identify the particular actor involved,” the AI firm wrote in its blog.

The article about Kushner and US foreign policy was published by the LA Progressive, which describes itself as an “independent, justice-driven publication” based in Los Angeles. CNN has requested comment from LA Progressive. Daud Abdullah, Director of the Middle East Monitor, told CNN he will look into the articles OpenAI flagged and “take the appropriate action.” Another representative for the Middle East Monitor later told CNN that the articles had been taken down and that the publication was reviewing its submissions process. After the articles published, the Iranian operatives asked ChatGPT to generate comments they could post on social media purporting to be people reacting to the articles, according to OpenAI.

“The users asked for comments on topics such as missile strikes, ceasefires, and diplomatic maneuvering, specifying outputs that portrayed the US as the aggressor, Israel as an unreliable ally of the US, and Iran as a defiant but resilient victim,” the blog says. “It’s remarkable that the Iranians managed to land their content in real media outlets, expanding the potential reach of their campaign,” said Jessica Brandt, who ran the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s now-shuttered Foreign Malign Influence Center from 2023 to 2025.

“We’re witnessing AI enable foreign adversaries to better hide their hand, building more sophisticated false fronts than they might otherwise be able to in order to launder their content through authentic channels, leveraging those channels for reach,” Brandt told CNN. OpenAI’s findings show how AI is increasingly being used to shape perceptions of war. This spring, a false AI-assisted US intelligence report about a purported Chinese ship transporting nuclear components almost led the US military to board the ship, CNN previously reported.

Source: Iranian operatives used AI to plant fake stories in multiple US media outlets | CNN Politics

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.
1 Peter 4:1

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Powerful earthquake shakes Panama

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Aerial view of storm-damaged coastal city, roads, harbor, and rough ocean

A major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 has struck Panama, according to the US Geological Survey. Local media are reporting structural damage in some parts of the country. Some casualties are possible and extensive damage is probable, the USGS said. Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino has called for calm and instructed the minister of government to provide information on the earthquake’s effects. Several aftershocks have been reported near the epicenter.

The US Tsunami Warning System said tsunami waves reaching one to three meters are possible along some coasts of Panama. Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru could also see less intense waves. This is the latest powerful earthquake to have struck Latin America this year. Over the summer, Venezuela was hit by two powerful earthquakes that killed more than 6,400 people, while Colombia suffered a tremor that left around 300 dead.

Source: Powerful earthquake shakes Panama | CNN

Somalians Turn Minnesota Into War Zone

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Police officers investigate a taped-off residential street beneath a city skyline

Peaceful Minnesota has become a terrifying scene for its residents. Minnesota nice has become a deceitful badge of horror. The saftey they once had is gone.

Source: Somalians Turn Minnesota into a Warzone

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.
Isaiah 61:1

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Harford County parents rally behind bus driver removed after stopping to rescue injured kitten

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Vintage school bus driver's area with steering wheel, dashboard, and seat

Some Harford County parents are speaking out after their children’s longtime school bus driver was removed from her route after allegedly allowing a student to get off the bus to rescue an injured kitten. Cynthia Morgan, who drove students in the district for 11 years, told CBS News Baltimore she is devastated by the decision. Parents say they understand the safety concerns but believe removing Morgan from her route was excessive. Video recorded on Heaps School Road shows little traffic on the rural road, a detail parents say is important to understanding what happened.

“We live in North Harford, so it’s very rural out here, off of Heaps School Road, a very low-traffic road,” parent Carolyn Kalambihis said. “She wouldn’t have done it, let a child get off the bus to get a kitten if it was a more high-traffic road.” Morgan was removed from her route this week after she allegedly allowed a student to get off the bus to pick up an injured kitten. Morgan confirmed the account to CBS News Baltimore but declined to speak on camera. Kalambihis acknowledged the potential safety risks but said she believes Morgan understands that allowing a student off the bus was a mistake.

“It’s definitely a concern for safety. There is no question that it was a mistake,” Kalambihis said. “It shouldn’t have happened. I believe she knows that and understands, and looking back, knows she made a mistake and should not have done what she did.”

Parents rally behind longtime bus driver

Kalambihis said Morgan drove her children to North Harford Elementary School for five years and became someone they looked forward to seeing each day. “She is an angel. She is the most caring person,” Kalambihis said. “Every year at the beginning of the school year she buys every child on the bus school supplies. She buys them gifts for Christmas, every holiday, birthdays she gives them birthday cards, all out of her own pocket. She just does it because it makes her feel good.” Harford County Public Schools said Morgan was employed by an independent contractor, not directly by the school district.

However, the district is responsible for certifying drivers who transport students for its schools. In a statement to CBS News Baltimore, the district said, in part, “Certification and decertification are not always based on a single factor but often involve consideration of multiple circumstances and requirements…. Student safety remains our top priority, and all certification decisions are made with that responsibility in mind.” The district declined to comment on Morgan’s specific situation.

Petition calls for her return

Kalambihis and other parents are circulating a petition calling for Morgan to be allowed to return to her route. “We just feel the way that it was handled was not appropriate,” Kalambihis said. “We feel that termination was a little excessive, an overreaction by the Department of Transportation through HCPS. I think it could have been handled in a lot of other ways.” Cleary Inc. employs bus drivers who transport students for Harford County Public Schools. CBS News Baltimore reached out to the company for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Source: Harford County parents rally behind bus driver removed after stopping to rescue injured kitten – CBS Baltimore

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1 Timothy 6:9

1 Peter 1:6–7

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though…

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1 Timothy 1:13-15

Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love…

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Psalm 1:1–3

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;  but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and…

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James 1:14–15

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown…

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Galatians 6:7

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. This reminds us that our choices have consequences. God is not fooled by…

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Proverbs 13:20

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. This reminds us that the people we spend time with have a powerful influence…

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1 Corinthians 15:33

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals. We can see here that Paul gives a powerful warning: the people and influences we allow into our lives can shape…

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Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who…

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Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. This verse reminds us that our words carry tremendous power.…

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Proverbs 23:7

For he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. This verse reminds us that our thoughts…

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Matthew 6:22

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, In this verse Jesus teaches that what…

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Luke 6:45

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the…

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The Shepherd’s Duty: Protecting the Flock

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Walking stick overlooking a town and rolling fields at sunset


 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and tell them, even the shepherds, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat. You clothe yourself with the wool. You kill the fatlings, but you don’t feed the sheep. You haven’t strengthened the diseased. You haven’t healed that which was sick. You haven’t bound up that which was broken. You haven’t brought back that which was driven away. You haven’t sought that which was lost, but you have ruled over them with force and with rigor. Ezekiel 34:2–4


God holds leaders to a higher standard because their choices affect many. Spiritual authority is never meant to shield wrongdoing but to guard those entrusted to their care. Ezekiel’s rebuke reminds us that neglecting protection is a form of failure before God. True shepherds intervene, confront, and act decisively to keep the flock safe. Leadership that prioritizes image over integrity abandons its calling. Faithful leadership reflects God’s heart by choosing protection over popularity.

Thoughts to Ponder
 Pray for leaders to act with courage and accountability.

Journal Prompt:
 How do I define faithful leadership according to Scripture rather than culture?

Closing Prayer:
 Dear Heavenly Father, raise up shepherds who protect, guide, and lead with integrity. Lord give them Your heart, help them to see the way You see, and do and act the way You would. In Jesus Name Amen.

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…...

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
Psalm 105:4

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Dear Heavenly Father, as I enter this day please give me the words that I need to share who you are and help me present your love to all that seriously need…

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Daily Bread; Psalm 91:4

Daily Verse He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. Psalm 91:4 ESV Refuge: shelter or protection from…

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The News Part 1

Dear Heavenly Father, as this is read give understanding and conviction to those reading this. May there be understanding where there needs to be understanding and conviction where there needs to be…

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French student protesters say they’re just getting started

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Protesters holding blank signs outside a French government building with police present

After a heavy-handed response to the student protests sweeping France, the government has changed tack. It has banned police from using stun grenades after a student’s hand was blown off earlier in the week and there are promises to listen more to protesters’ demands. But with hundreds of schools still facing blockade and calls for more protests, will it be enough? What has the government said? “Empathy” and a little more “pedagogy” is what French President Emmanuel Macron demanded of police forces facing student protesters, said Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, following a massive day of protests on Tuesday.

“The president recalled the necessity to maintain order, intervene each time there’s serious violence, all while asking us to act with the greatest proportionality,” Nunez told radio station RTL Wednesday, after an emergency ministerial meeting. Nunez, a former chief of Paris’ police, said that he had ordered forces to refrain from using the type of stun grenade linked to a teenager losing his hand in protests on Monday. “We don’t deal with a movement of highschoolers like we deal with a movement of adults,” Nunez said. France’s Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu told lawmakers Tuesday that high schools would replace lessons until the end of the week with a “period of internal democracy” to air grievances and discuss solutions. While refuting any suggestion of police repression, Lecornu condemned violence on the margins of protests, which were mostly peaceful Tuesday, despite the dramatic scenes that dominated coverage.

In an address to the nation Wednesday, Lecornu said parliament would debate on November 12 a budget proposal that includes 64 billion euros ($71.6 billion) in funding for education, a slight increase from last year. He also said the government has launched five initiatives to respond to students’ needs, including efforts to renovate school facilities, improve students’ schedules and provide more opportunities to express their concerns. “We have a duty to listen to them. Taking young people seriously means supporting their engagement just as much as sharing the difficulties, but also the constraints, with them,” he said. The proposal for discussion is a tried and tested tactic of Macron, who has historically favored attempts to integrate public debate into policy making. His government tried to calm the Yellow Vests protests with a similar listening campaign in 2019. Meanwhile, 18 investigations into officers’ conduct during the protests have been opened by police internal investigators, Nunez said, adding they would examine the proportionality of police actions.

Police forces “are there to protect the high schoolers,” he said. Are protests getting worse? On Thursday, 224 high schools were closed – a 30% decrease from Wednesday morning, Reuters reported, citing the education ministry. That will leave 94% of high schools fully or partially open, the ministry added. According to the interior ministry, 488 people were detained around the high school protests Tuesday. The student blockade actions on Wednesday were a fraction of the hundreds of thousands who marched with workers’ unions Tuesday in support of students across France. But it’s a sign of the rancor among students that protests are continuing day-to-day. Student unions have called for a day of protests on October 17 and five major teaching unions said they would strike Thursday in solidarity with their students, with little sign that school blockades will halt in the meantime. What do students want? More teachers, smaller class sizes and buildings better adapted to the climate are the most common demands of high school protesters.

Student union leaders, who represent some of the young people protesting, have also called for a 10-billion-euro ($11.2-billion) investment in high school and university-level education. A 10-point list of proposals drawn up by student unions included rethinking student workloads, ending a controversial university admissions system, ending police violence against students and creating more student accommodation. Sabrine Kharbach, spokesperson of the Student Union federation of unionized students, told BFMTV that blockades would continue until their demands were met. Anaïs Ella, spokesperson for Les Lycéens, a student association, told CNN that Lecornu didn’t address the demands laid out by student unions. She said that some of the prime minister’s proposals – including filling teaching posts in exam-year classes – “was the basics of the education system.” She said that money would solve some of their demands but that a deeper reset in relations between the government and students was needed. “We are the ones most directly affected by the national education system, yet we aren’t actually listened to,” she added.

Since the weekend, there have been concerted efforts among students to reject the violence that has marred protests. Student Angelo Via, 19, who protested in the street Tuesday, told CNN there was a feeling of “powerlessness” in the face of violent police actions, despite many students protesting peacefully. He hopes the protests will bring about “radical change,” especially regarding education budgets. What’s next? There will be relief in France at the interior minister’s decision to ban one type of police grenade, as the injuries suffered by some teenage protesters has sparked widespread horror. But the proposal for time for debate has been met with skepticism in some quarters. The main union for school directors, SNPDEN-UNSA, said that the single day set aside for discussions was insufficient to respond to problems in depth.

Nicolas Bonnet, national secretary of the union, told BFMTV that, “something other than a mere consultation period was required to get out of this crisis.” There are whispers in France of these protests transforming into another Yellow Vests movement, which was leaderless, nationwide and unified a broad church of grievances. Mimicking the months-long violent protests – the longest in French history – that rocked Macron’s first term, students and journalists have already begun referring to the next day of protest set for Thursday as “Act IV.”

Source: French student protesters say they’re just getting started | CNN

Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
Matthew 22:37

God Sees Your Unseen Efforts

God has not overlooked a single act of your faithfulness, not one prayer, not one quiet sacrifice. Even when no one else sees, He remembers, and your labor…

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Aurora seeks boundary change to address encampment near navigation campus

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A jurisdictional issue along the Aurora-Denver border is throwing an unexpected wrench into efforts to clear a homeless encampment outside Aurora’s Regional Navigation Campus. Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman says city leaders recently discovered the encampment sits on a small piece of land that is technically within Denver city limits, even though it is adjacent to the Aurora-owned campus at East 40th Avenue and Chambers Road. The campus was purchased by Aurora to provide shelter, services and support for people experiencing homelessness. 

“When we bought the property, we assumed that 40th was the boundary between the city of Aurora and the city of Denver,” Coffman told CBS Colorado. “And it is except for a small piece, and that piece right now has an encampment on it.” Coffman said some of the people living in the encampment were previously receiving services at the Regional Navigation Campus but were asked to leave after failing to follow program rules. The mayor said Aurora wants to address the camp not only because of its proximity to the campus, but also because of concerns from nearby residents and businesses on both sides of the city line. “We obviously want to be good neighbors not simply to the businesses of Aurora, but the residences and businesses in Denver which are right across the street,” Coffman said. Coffman said the jurisdictional boundary matters because Aurora and Denver have different policies for abatements.

“We have very different guidelines for abating an encampment than Denver does,” he explained. A spokesperson for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s office said the two cities are working together so the property can be managed under a single set of rules. Denver also noted the encampment highlighted by Coffman appears to be largely within Aurora. Coffman said Aurora is pursuing a boundary adjustment that would transfer the property into Aurora’s jurisdiction. “We need to clean it up, but we need to have the authority to do it by virtue of having jurisdiction over this area,” Coffman said. “So we’re going to go forward with this boundary change and working with Denver.” Both Aurora and Denver officials say they expect the matter by the Regional Navigation Campus will be resolved between the two cities in the coming months.  

Coffman said Aurora completed a similar process earlier this year. He explained the city worked with neighboring Centennial on a land transfer involving Regis Jesuit High School, allowing Aurora to annex property connected to the school’s planned expansion. “So we know how to do it; we know there’s a precedent for it,” Coffman said.

Source: Aurora seeks boundary change to address encampment near navigation campus – CBS Colorado

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
Romans 14:1

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Plague in Russia?

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a young man wearing a face mask

Russian authorities have sought to allay global worries over the death of a young woman who worked at a Siberian anti-plague laboratory. But moves to isolate her contacts and introduce new disease-control measures at local hospitals have raised concerns among people who fear they’re not being told the full story. The woman was a lab technician at Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia in Russia’s southeast. Questions have swirled around what illness she contracted and why Russian authorities have rushed to isolate her contacts, while downplaying the suggestion that she died of plague.

CNN has learned that a local maternity hospital is subjecting patients to comprehensive health checks and requiring them to fill out questionnaires about suspicious symptoms related to “plague” and other infectious diseases. The United States has made a formal request to Russia for information and US President Donald Trump said he is expecting to speak to his counterpart Vladimir Putin about the issue. Despite the assurances from Moscow that the risk is “low,” some nations in the region have implemented quarantine controls at border crossings. Here’s what we know:

What’s happening in Irkutsk?

Ulyana Gavryunina, a 29-year-old blogger from Angarsk, a city in the Irkutsk region, told CNN she had to change maternity hospitals at 40 weeks pregnant after newly imposed quarantine restrictions meant her husband could no longer be with her during labor. When she arrived for a scheduled appointment at the Irkutsk City Perinatal Center, her mother, who usually accompanied her during visits, was refused entry. Staff checked her temperature, asked her to show her tongue and instructed her to wear a mask, sanitize her hands and complete two questionnaires. One of them was titled “Checklist for Suspected Highly Dangerous Infectious Disease Plague” and listed symptoms such as high fever and chest pain.

Staff did not mention plague, she said, telling her only that there was an unidentified “new virus” and that extra precautions were needed to protect the babies. Inside the hospital, the atmosphere was calm, Gavryunina said. “Everything was as usual,” she told CNN. “Everyone was wearing masks, that’s all.” Her biggest concern was being told her husband could no longer accompany her during labor, even if he underwent additional medical tests. For other residents, the hospital restrictions have fueled questions about whether authorities are being transparent. “It feels like they’re not telling us the whole story,” one person who self-identified as an Irkutsk resident commented beneath one of Gavryunina’s social media posts. “They’re telling everyone that it wasn’t the plague but pneumonia. Yet hospitals are still under quarantine, and ambulance doctors are driving around in full Covid protective suits.”

Another local resident, who identified herself only as Ekaterina, said life there was continuing as normal. She told CNN that while some of her acquaintances were “slightly panicking,” she had seen little change on the streets. “Everything is as usual, no visible changes,” Ekaterina said. But in local Telegram groups, many expressed skepticism. “Who are you telling these fairy tales to?” one user asked.

What prompted these measures?

A lab worker, identified as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, was hospitalized on September 29, according to independent regional news outlet Lyudi Baikala. She is believed to have died at a hospital in Shelekhov, a town about 12 miles southwest of Irkutsk, at the end of last week. A friend of hers told CNN she died on October 2. The friend didn’t confirm any other details. Unverified reports suggest she fell ill after a potential lab-leak or contracted the illness after traveling to another region. Russia’s health and consumer watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said she died of a pneumonia of “unknown” origin. The agency downplayed suspicions that her illness was related to her work.

So how did the plague scare originate?

The first sign of a potential issue came on October 2, when Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev posted on Telegram that Anna Popova, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, had convened an “extraordinary meeting” about a suspected case of a “particularly dangerous infection” in a resident of the region. Kobzev did not mention plague, but Alexey Tsydenov, the head of neighboring Buryatia, raised that possibility when he said in a statement that the woman “died of plague in the Irkutsk region.” According to Russian media reports, his statement was later edited to say that she had “possibly died from plague.” We don’t know what the lab worker was suffering from, or how she contracted her illness, but the opaque Russian response has fueled speculation.

How have Russian authorities responded?

Russia’s health watchdog has reassured locals that the “epidemiological situation” is stable, but local media reported that 60 workers in the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute were in quarantine and a that number of hospitals were subject to restrictions The Kremlin has urged people to rely on updates from the health watchdog rather than “various rumors and speculation.” When pressed for further information on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov again referred journalists to the health watchdog, noting it “continues its work.” But the watchdog has released limited information.

What has been the international response?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged Russia to share more information about the circumstances of the researcher’s death. “I think it’s incumbent upon Russia to obviously share more information with the world,” he said. “Maybe it’s bigger than we thought. We don’t know, but I think it would be reckless at this moment, given the limited information we still have, to speculate.” The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was in contact with Russian health authorities to “verify the event, its circumstances, the laboratory tests underway, and their results.” “Based on unofficial information available, the public health risk to the general population appears to be low,” it said.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday that Russian health authorities reported that no case of plague had recently been registered in Irkutsk region, in response to WHO’s verification request. He said Russian health authorities told WHO that an epidemiological investigation was conducted, and contacts were identified, tested and put under medical observation. The Russian health authorities did not detect any high-threat pathogens among the contacts, Tedros said. Tedros also added that the WHO is seeking clarification from Russian authorities regarding “media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause”, though he did not say which media reports he was referring to.

Some Western media outlets have reported a second case linked to the episode, citing unspecified Russian media reports. CNN is not aware of any such reports and neither local media nor local officials have confirmed a second infection. The Kremlin on Wednesday said Russia had informed WHO of the plague researcher’s death “in accordance with established practice.”

Border measures

Despite such reassurances, several countries in the region have said they are monitoring and have put safeguard measures in place. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have implemented quarantine controls at state border crossing points. Uzbekistan said it has “increased the readiness” of authorities to deal with highly infectious diseases. But there do not appear to be additional border measures in place in China, which has a history of infectious disease control with Russia.

No flights from Irkutsk to China have been cancelled in recent days, according to data from Flightradar24 reviewed by CNN. Inbound and outbound travel through Heihe Port – a major border crossing connecting China’s northeast Heilongjiang province with the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk – remains normal, a salesperson at Heihe China Travel Agency told CNN on Wednesday. They had not received any notices about border controls. CNN has asked China Customs and its foreign ministry whether Beijing plans to establish any border measures. China is currently observing an national holiday.

Why was the lab studying the plague?

According to its website, the Anti-Plague Institute employs around 95 researchers and is a major public health facility responsible for monitoring and preventing outbreaks of high-risk bacterial and viral infections across Siberia and Russia’s Far East. The institute was established in 1934 to combat plague and continues to study the disease because Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the plague, still circulates naturally in wildlife across parts of Siberia and neighboring regions.

Source: Russian plague scare — what we know so far | CNN

A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.
Proverbs 18:16

Ecclesiastes 3:1

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: In the Book of Ecclesiastes verse 3:1, we’re reminded that life moves in seasons, every moment has a divine…

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Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s law,…

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Isaias becomes first hurricane of 2026 Atlantic season, threatens northern Gulf Coast. See maps, forecast path.

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Hurricane Isaias was intensifying early Thursday and is expected to make landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday, threatening parts of Mississippi, Alabama and the western part of the Florida Panhandle. It became the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season after strengthening from a tropical storm late Wednesday night. A hurricane warning is in effect for the northern Gulf Coast, from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, across Alabama to Florida’s Bay/Gulf County line.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for more than two dozen counties in his state, and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency for 40 counties.  Maps show hurricane’s path Isaias, pronounced “ees-ah-EE-ahs,” had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph early Thursday and its core was located about 420 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the National Hurricane Center.  “Additional strengthening is expected through early Friday, and Isaias should remain a strong hurricane as it approaches the northern Gulf Coast on Friday night,” the center said.

“Preparations to protect life and property from storm surge and damaging winds along the warning area of the Gulf Coast should be rushed to completion today,” the Miami-based center stressed. Along with the hurricane warning, a tropical storm warning was issued from Louisiana’s Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish line to west of Ocean Springs, Mississippi and from east of the Bay/Gulf County line to Florida’s Aucilla River. A storm surge warning was issued from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Steinhatchee River in Florida. The hurricane center forecasts 3 to 7 inches of rain and as much as 10 inches in some places along the coast from southeastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. Much of the Southeast, and as far north as the Tennessee Valley and the Carolinas, could see heavy rainfall.

The latest for a first hurricane since 1905 Isaias’ progression into a hurricane on Wednesday marked the latest date in 121 years for the Atlantic season’s first hurricane to develop, just missing a record set on Oct. 8, 1905, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data.  The season, which has been unusually quiet in the Atlantic this year, runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.   An Atlantic hurricane season typically produces, on average, 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes, according to the hurricane center, which used climate data collected between 1991 and 2020 to calculate those figures. A season’s first named storm normally forms in mid- to late-June, while the first hurricane tends to form in early- to mid-August, and the first major hurricane often comes in late August or early September.

Forecasters predicted there would be less Atlantic storm activity than usual this year, but so far it has been even quieter than anticipated. Meteorologists say that’s largely due to to the onset of a strong El Niño over the summer, which typically correlates with cooler water temperatures and greater fluctuations in wind patterns over the Atlantic, conditions that dampen the growth of tropical systems. The Pacific, meanwhile, has seen an unusually active series of hurricanes.

Source: Isaias becomes first hurricane of 2026 Atlantic season, threatens northern Gulf Coast. See maps, forecast path. – CBS News

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
John 15:10

🇺🇸 Memorial Day 🇺🇸

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women…

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