JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
DISEASES-ANIMAL TO HUMAN
REVELATION 6:7-8 (500 MILLION DEAD EACH FROM THE 4 JUDGEMENTS)(2 BILLION TOT DEAD HERE)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 billion) of (8 billion) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS)(500 million) and with hunger,(FAMINE)(500 million) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES)(500 million) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE)(500 million).
THE COVID-19 TOTALS.
WORLD OVER ALL CASES 219,353,794 - DEAD 4,546,277 - AS OF THU SEP 02,2021 (PROBABLY IN THE LAST 200,000 DEAD-150,000 STILL GOT COVID AND DIED AFTER GETTING BOTH VACCINE SHOTS)
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE BOOSTER SHOTS ONLY ON BAD IMMUNE PEOPLE. ALREADY AN UNTESTED BOOSTER KILLER WILL BE MANDITORY BY OCT 22,21. AS WELL AS THE FRAUD KILLER CONTROL FREAK FAKE VACCINES SO FAR. THE DIFFERENCE NOW BETWEEN A MICROCHIP IMPLANT AND THIS CONTROL SHEEPLE SYSTEM IS. THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK YOU AT ALL TIMES. AND YOU CAN NOT BUY OR SELL IF YOUR MICROCHIP IS TURNED OFF.
The Canadian Press-What will Ontario's vaccine certification program look like?-Wed., September 1, 2021, 1:22 p.m.
Ontario says its COVID-19 vaccination certificate program will come into effect Sept. 22. Here's a look at how it will work:How will I show my proof of vaccination? Initially, residents will show a PDF or printout of the vaccination receipt they received when they got their COVID-19 shots, along with a government-issued piece of ID such as a photo health card or driver's licence.The province is expected to launch a system in late October that will send everyone a QR code to accompany their vaccination receipt. It will also launch an app that will allow service providers to scan the QR codes as proof of vaccination.In which settings will patrons need to show that they're fully vaccinated? -Restaurants and bars, with exceptions for patio, takeout and delivery services -Nightclubs -Meeting and event spaces, such as banquet halls -Sports and fitness facilities, such as gyms -Sporting events -Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments -Concerts, music festivals, theatres and cinemas -Strip clubs, bathhouses and sex clubs -Racing venues - What are the exceptions? The province says the requirement does not apply for outdoor settings, with the exception of outdoor nightclubs.People who are medically exempt from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and those who are under 12 years of age will be able to access settings where the vaccine certificate is required without receiving the shots.A negative COVID-19 test will not entitle people to enter most of the settings where the vaccine certificate is needed, with exceptions for weddings and funeral receptions until Oct. 12.Vaccination status will not affect anyone's ability to receive necessary medical care, food from grocery stores, basic medical supplies or other essentials, nor will it affect the ability to vote in the upcoming federal election.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2021.The Canadian Press.
HOW CRAZY IS THIS CBC ANHD YAHOO DUNG PILE. NO COMMENTS BECAUSE OF A SAFE AND ENGAGING PLACE. WHAT ABOUT THEM SLAUGHTERED CHILDREN CREATED BY GOD INSIDE THE WOMAN GOD CREATED. IF THEM COMMENTS ARE BANNED. WHY ARE THE BABIES LIVES BANNED FROM A MURDEROUS ABOUTION DOCTOR IS MY QUESTION TO THE LIBERAL INCLUSIVE PEACE LOVING CBC.
CBC-Texas 'fetal heartbeat' abortion law takes effect-Wed., September 1, 2021, 9:48 a.m.
The Texas law bans abortion once the rhythmic contracting of fetal cardiac tissue can be detected, sometimes before a woman realizes she is pregnant. There are no exceptions for rape or incest but exceptions can be made for a medical emergency.
(Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting.)
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
AMERICA (POLITICAL BABYLON)(NUKED BY SNEAK ATTACK FROM RUSSIA)
IN REVELATION 17 & 18 IS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL BABYLONS.IF YOU CAN NOT DECERN BETWEEN THE 2 BABYLONS IN REV 17 & 18.YOU WILL JUST THINK THEIR BOTH THE SAME.BUT NO-THERES A RELIGIOUS BABYLON (THE VATICAN IN REV 17)(AND THE POLITICAL BABYLON IN REV 18 (AMERICA OR NEW YORK TO BE EXACT)
ISAIAH 34:10
10 It (AMERICA-POLITICAL BABYLON) shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
JEREMIAH 51:29-32 (CYBER ATTACK 1ST)
29 And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon,(AMERICA-NEW YORK) to make the land of Babylon (AMERICA) a desolation without an inhabitant.
30 The mighty men of Babylon (AMERICA) have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.
031 One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon (NEW YORK) that his city is taken at one end,
32 And that the passages are stopped,(THE WAR COMPUTERS HACKED OR EMP'D) and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.(DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO)
COMPLETE SILENCE AFTER AN EMP GOES OFF
REVELATION 8:1
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
JEREMIAH 50:3,24
3 For out of the north (RUSSIA) there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
24 I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon,(AMERICA) and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD. (RUSSIA A SNEAK CYBER,EMP ATTACK,THEN NUKE ATTACK ON AM
EZEKIEL 39:11-22
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
13 Yea, all the people of the land (OF ISRAEL) shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I (GOD-JESUS) shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
14 And they shall sever out men of continual employment,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB EXPERTS) passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it,(WON'T TOUCH IT) till the buriers have buried it (PROPERLY) in the valley of Hamongog.(RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS NEW BURIEL SITE)(EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN THE JORDAN VALLEY)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl,(500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS THREW ISRAEL EVERY SPRING,FALL) and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF THE RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM ARMIES)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
Israeli officials cautioned Biden against heavy criticism of Egypt, Saudi Arabia-Jerusalem fears that singling out Sissi and MBS on human rights violations risks sending their countries into arms of Iran, China and Russia-By Jacob Magid-sep 02,21-Today, 11:13 am
NEW YORK — Israeli officials have repeatedly cautioned their counterparts in the Biden administration against being overly critical of the Saudi and Egyptian governments, due to concerns that that such criticism might lead Riyadh and Cairo to turn to countries like Iran, China and Russia for support, a source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel on Wednesday.Biden entered office vowing to place a premium on human rights in the crafting of his foreign policy, warning that countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt would need to reform if they wanted to maintain their longstanding relationships with the US.But that approach has worried Jerusalem, which believes it could alienate Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, leading them to look elsewhere for support — namely from Iran, but also from US adversaries China and Russia. Those concerns have been passed along to administration officials on multiple occasions, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.However, the matter was not raised during the meeting between Biden and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett last week, The Times of Israel has learned.The source expressed satisfaction that while the Biden administration has maintained its rhetoric in favor of upholding human rights abroad, it has “thus far avoided upending US relations with [Cairo and Riyadh] entirely.”Israel views Saudi Arabia and Egypt as part of a more moderate axis of Arab countries in the region with which it seeks to cooperate against Iran, and has been reported in the past to lobby the US in support of economic aid for both countries.Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1979, ending decades of conflict and establishing full diplomatic relations. In recent years, the two countries have cooperated closely on security, mostly surrounding the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula.Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has drawn closer to Israel amid both countries’ efforts to thwart Iran’s regional aspirations; however, it has so far resisted establishing diplomatic ties with the Jewish state.
US general says coordination with Taliban ‘possible’ on strikes against IS-But Mark Milley’s remarks don’t indicate immediate plans to work with Islamist group after US withdrawal from Afghanistan-By Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor-sep 2,21-Today, 11:04 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it’s “possible” the United States will seek to coordinate with the Taliban on counterterrorism strikes in Afghanistan against Islamic State jihadists or others.Milley did not elaborate, and his comment Wednesday did not appear to suggest immediate plans to work with the Taliban.US military commanders coordinated daily with Taliban commanders outside the Kabul airport over the past three weeks to facilitate the evacuation of more than 124,000 people. But that was a matter of convenience for both parties and not necessarily a sign that they will pursue, or even want, a regular relationship in the future.The US military ousted the Taliban from power in the fall of 2001 and fought against them for the 19 years that followed.The extent and nature of a US-Taliban relationship, now that the war is over, is one of the key issues to be worked out. The US diplomatic presence in Kabul has been moved to Doha, Qatar. US President Joe Biden has noted several times recently that the Taliban are avowed enemies of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan, suggesting a shared interest with the United States.At a Pentagon news conference with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Milley called the Taliban “ruthless,” adding: “Whether or not they change remains to be seen.” He suggested that the recent cooperative arrangement with the Taliban at Kabul airport was not necessarily a model for the future.“In war, you do what you must in order to reduce risk to mission and force, not what you necessarily want to do,” Milley said.Biden has promised further targeting of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan in response to the IS suicide bombing last week at a Kabul airport gate that killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 American service members. On Saturday, the US military carried out a drone strike in Afghanistan that it said killed two IS planners. On Tuesday, Biden said, “To ISIS-K: We are not done with you yet,” referring to the IS Afghan offshoot.Targeting Islamic State militants or other jihadist groups, such as al-Qaeda, will be more difficult with no US military forces on the ground and no friendly government forces with which to share intelligence on extremist networks. But the Biden administration asserts that it can contain these groups by monitoring and potentially striking with assets based elsewhere in the region.Although the Taliban oppose IS, it’s far from clear that they will be inclined to work with the US military or the Central Intelligence Agency now that they have regained power in Kabul. Milley has recent experience with Taliban leaders; twice last year, most recently in December, he met face-to-face with them in an attempt to slow their attacks on the US-backed Afghan government, which collapsed in mid-August, triggering the frantic US-led evacuation.Austin sounded at least as skeptical as Milley regarding the possibility that the coordination in recent days at the Kabul airport suggests a future relationship with the Taliban.“I would not make any leaps of logic to broader issues,” said Austin.Both Austin and Milley commanded troops in Afghanistan during the 20-year war and their comments at Wednesday’s news conference largely focused on tributes to those who served in Afghanistan, including those who died or were wounded. They also thanked all who contributed to the final airlift, which Austin called the largest evacuation of civilians in American history.Milley and Austin urged war veterans to view their service as worthwhile and appreciated by the American public, while acknowledging that the memories can be painful.“War is hard. It’s vicious. It’s brutal. It’s unforgiving,” Milley said. “Yes, we all have pain and anger. When we see what has unfolded over the last 20 years and over the last 20 days, that creates pain and anger.”With the US involvement in the war over and all American military out of the country, Biden is grappling with the prospects of a new relationship with the Taliban. He has tasked Secretary of State Antony Blinken with coordinating with international partners to hold the Taliban to their promise of safe passage for Americans and others who want to leave in the days ahead.Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, has described the US relationship with the Taliban during the evacuation as “very pragmatic and very businesslike,” saying they helped secure the airport. But other reports from people in Afghanistan described shootings, violence and Taliban moves to block desperate Afghans from getting through the gates.Biden in an address to the nation Tuesday defended his decision to end America’s longest war and withdraw all US troops by an August 31 deadline.“I was not going to extend this forever war,” Biden declared from the White House. “And I was not going to extend a forever exit.”Biden is coming under heavy criticism, particularly from Republicans, for his handling of the evacuation. But he said it was inevitable that the final departure from two decades of war, first negotiated with the Taliban for May 1 by former president Donald Trump, would have been difficult, with likely violence, no matter when it was planned and conducted.“To those asking for a third decade of war in Afghanistan, I ask, ‘What is the vital national interest?’” Biden said. He added, “I simply do not believe that the safety and security of America is enhanced by continuing to deploy thousands of American troops and spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan.”
Study: 1 in 4 Israeli kids became more violent during COVID era-Research finds that 38% of children under the age of 6 also suffer more stress than they did pre-pandemic-By TOI staff-sep 2,21-Today, 10:23 am
Some 25 percent of children in Israel are reported to have been more violent amid the coronavirus pandemic than they were in previous years, according to new research.The study, conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of Haifa, and Reichman University (formerly the Interdisciplinary Center) in Herzliya, and reported on by Channel 13 news on Wednesday, said one in four children under the age of 6 were acting more violently as a result of the pandemic.Children under 6 also expressed more stress than usual — 38%. The research also showed that 43% of kids spent more time in front of screens, and 36% were eating more candy than usual.Nearly half, 45%, of kids under 6 required help from their parents to reconnect with their friends after lengthy COVID lockdowns and last year’s online classes when schools were shuttered.Some 37% of kids had more learning difficulties amid the pandemic, and 34% needed emotional support, the research said.In addition, Channel 13 reported that one in 10 kids under 6 required psychological treatment, according to the research.Among older children and teens, the network said 83% had become addicted to screens during the pandemic.One in four was consuming more alcoholic drinks than usual, and 47% were acting more violently than usual, the network showed.The research was published as Israel’s school system reopened on Wednesday.Almost 2.5 million Israeli students from kindergarten to 12th grade started school Wednesday. Some 250,000 students needed to study via Zoom, due to health restrictions, but the Education Ministry said over 90% of students showed up for school on the first day, far exceeding expectations.
Despite Biden ‘success’ claims, US officials ‘horrified’ at abandoned Americans-‘We have failed that no-fail mission,’ administration official says as evacuation ends; Afghans left behind also feel betrayed by US and allies-By TOI staff and Agencies-SEP 2,21-Today, 5:38 am
Despite US President Joe Biden calling the American evacuation from Kabul an “extraordinary success,” officials in his administration were appalled that US forces left with several hundred Americans still in Afghanistan, now under Taliban rule.“I am absolutely appalled and literally horrified we left Americans there,” one administration official told the Politico news site.Biden on Tuesday appeared to say that those who remained did so out of their own free will and could leave in the future.“The bottom line: 90 percent of Americans in Afghanistan who wanted to leave were able to leave. For those remaining Americans, there is no deadline. We remain committed to get them out, if they want to come out,” Biden said.He contended 100 to 200 Americans are still there and have “some intention to leave,” adding: “Most of those who remain are dual citizens, longtime residents, but earlier decided to stay because of their family roots in Afghanistan.”White House press secretary Jen Psaki said afterward that Biden was telling those people that if they decide in two weeks that they want to go, “we will get you out.”But other officials painted a different picture.“It was a hostage rescue of thousands of Americans in the guise of a NEO [noncombatant evacuation operations], and we have failed that no-fail mission,” the official told Politico.Another White House official said that the mission isn’t accomplished if they left Americans behind.And military officers appeared to contradict Biden’s assessment of the desire to leave of those left behind.Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, said Monday that Americans tried to get to the Kabul airport for the final evacuations but couldn’t. No Americans were on the last five jets to leave.“We maintained the ability to bring them in up until immediately before departure, but we were not able to bring any Americans out,” he said. “That activity ended probably about 12 hours before our exit, although we continue the outreach and would have been prepared to bring them on until the very last minute. But none of them made it to the airport, and were able to be — and were able to be accommodated.”Gen. Frank McKenzie, Commander of US Central Command, appearing on screen from MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa, Fla., speaks about Afghanistan during a virtual briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, August 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)-US officials estimated up to 200 Americans were left behind, along with unknown numbers of Afghans and others who were trying frantically to leave. By then, more than 100,000 people, mostly Afghans, had been flown to safety in the multinational evacuations.As the last US soldiers left after the 20-year-long American deployment there, Afghans are making desperate appeals to the West not to forget those left behind, fearing for their lives from the Taliban.Afghans left behind-Freshta, an artist and mother of two young children, is one of those who has gone into hiding, one of the desperate voices coming out of Afghanistan in the wake of the US withdrawal.Freshta — whose name has been changed for security reasons — was one of those who was not able to join the evacuations organized by foreign countries via Kabul airport.Two days before an attack at Kabul airport killed more than 100 people, the 33-year-old artist and painter had tried to get on a flight organized by France.But after a long wait with her five-month-old baby and five-year-old daughter, “stressed” by the chaos around the airport and frightened by shots fired by Taliban soldiers, she had to turn back.Now Freshta is in hiding at home in Kabul, in despair at the turn of events.“In 20 years, we tried a lot to make our country to be a nation, to progress,” she tells AFP by phone. “Our message: Please think about those innocent people who don’t have any way out of Afghanistan.”Freshta called on the outside world “not to be silent about our situation.”Hers is one of a number of cases being supported by a coalition of artists and cultural figures based in France.If other countries “recognize the Taliban regime our situation in the future will get worse. They should listen to our voice,” she said.Burqa clad Afghan women walk near the premises of Wazir Akbar Khan hospital in Kabul on September 1, 2021. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)-Now she is simply “waiting” to see what the future holds while asking relatives to shop for her and limiting her movements to a bare minimum. Even then she makes sure she is fully veiled.“It’s dangerous for me because I did a lot as an artist,” she said.The Taliban’s attempt to reassure Afghans opposed to their ideology cuts no ice with Freshta.“We cannot trust the Taliban,” she insisted. “Their actions and speech are totally different.”
The Canadian Press-Leader says Belarus expects big shipment of Russian weapons-Wed., September 1, 2021, 12:58 p.m.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The authoritarian leader of Belarus said Wednesday that the country will soon receive a large batch of Russian weapons, including dozens of combat jets, helicopters and top-of-the-line air defense missile systems.President Alexander Lukashenko announced the expected acquisition as Russia and Belarus prepare to conduct joint war games starting next week that are set to involve about 200,000 troops.The announcement highlights Moscow's growing support for Lukashenko, whose election to a sixth term in August 2020 triggered months of protests and allegations of a rigged vote from the Belarusian opposition and the West.Russia has staunchly backed the longtime president as his government faced a series of bruising sanctions from the United States and the European Union. The sanctions were imposed in response to a brutal crackdown on the post-election protests, including the arrests of more than 35,000 people and police beating thousands of demonstrators.Seeking to secure Moscow's support, Lukashenko has cast the sanctions as part of an alleged plot by the West to oust him and undermine Russia. He has described this month's upcoming military exercises as part of joint efforts to counter Western pressure.“We effectively have a single army, with the Belarusian military forming its backbone in the western direction,” Lukashenko said. “If, God forbid, a war starts, the Belarusian army will be the first to engage in the fight, and the western group of Russia's armed forces will join quickly after to form a joint defense.”Moscow has granted Belarus a new $1.5 billion loan and criticized Western restrictions. Lukashenko said that Russia also will shortly provide Belarus with dozens of warplanes and helicopters and air defense weapons, possibly including the state-of-the-art S-400 missile system.“We even could get the S-400s. We badly need them,” he said.The two ex-Soviet neighbors have a union agreement that envisages close political, economic and military ties. In the past, Lukashenko often accused Moscow of forging plots to force Belarus abandon its independence, but he has dropped such rhetoric after his crackdown on protest made him a pariah in the West and forced him to rely squarely on the Kremlin's support.Lukashenko said Wednesday that he would discuss a package of agreements intended to bolster Russia-Belarus integration during a visit to Russia next week, but he emphasized that it would not erode Belarus' independence.“There is no talk about the loss of sovereignty,” he said.But despite his assurances, the planned maneuvers and Lukashenko's efforts to forge closer ties with Russia have fueled concerns of the Belarusian opposition that the president might sacrifice the country's independence in exchange for Moscow's support.“Lukashenko is getting drawn into a military confrontation with the West and is trading in sovereignty, but his legitimacy is dubious and we won't recognize any documents or treaties that would give up or limit Belarus' sovereignty,” Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition challenger in the August 2020 election, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “Any agreements with Russia that would deprive us of an independent future will be reviewed.”___Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.Yuras Karmanau, The Associated Press
Associated Press-'It looked apocalyptic': Crew describes Afghan departure-In this Aug. 30, 2021, photo provided by the U.S. Air Force, a Air Force aircrew, assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, prepares to receive soldiers, assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, to board a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in support of the final noncombatant evacuation operation missions at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul Afghanistan. (Senior Airman Taylor Crul/U.S. Air Force via AP)-LOLITA C. BALDOR-Thu, September 2, 2021, 12:24 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) — It looked like a zombie apocalypse.For the U.S. military pilots and aircrew about to make their final takeoffs out of Afghanistan, the sky was lit up with fireworks and sporadic gunfire and the airfield littered with battered shells of airplanes and destroyed equipment. Stray dogs raced around the tarmac. And Taliban fighters, visible in the darkness through the green-tinged view of night vision goggles, walked the airfield waving an eerie goodbye.Lined up on the runway at the Kabul airport Monday night were the five last C-17s to leave the country after a chaotic and deadly airlift evacuation that marked the end of America's involvement in the Afghanistan war. In the final hours, there were no more rocket defense systems to protect them on the runway, and no one in the airport control center to direct them out.“It just looked apocalyptic,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Braden Coleman, who was in charge of monitoring the outside of his aircraft for artillery fire and other threats. “It looked like one of those zombie movies where all the airplanes had been destroyed, their doors were open, the wheels were broken. There was a plane that was burned all the way. You could see the cockpit was there, and the whole rest of the plane looked like the skeleton of a fish.”In interviews Wednesday with The Associated Press, members of the Air Force's 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron who flew out on the last military flights detailed their final fraught hours in what has been a dark, emotional and divisive U.S. exit from a war that now leaves the country in the hands of the same Taliban enemy it once ousted from power.“It was just definitely very tense, and we were definitely all on edge watching everything going on to make sure that we were ready,” said Air Force Capt. Kirby Wedan, pilot of MOOSE81, who led the final formation of five aircraft out.Adding to the stress, she said, was that their planes were parked in an area of the airport that had been attacked and breached in the past. At one point during the night, a group of civilians got onto the airfield and tried to get to the aircraft, but they were stopped by Army troops securing the plane, said Wedan, who is the squadron's mission planning cell chief.Right behind her C-17 was MOOSE92, where Coleman, the director of operations for the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, was going through his own checklists for takeoff. When he was told to taxi up a bit farther, he stepped out of the plane to help direct the crew where to go.“I had my NVG’s on, my night vision goggles, and I had a Raven behind me following me out, making sure that I was, you know, safe,” said Coleman, referring to a member of the specially trained security forces who protect Air Force aircraft. “It was a bit tense, I’m not going to lie. But I guess you don’t really think of it at the time. You just ... do what you’re trained to do.”For more than three hours, they methodically went through about 300 items on their checklists, packing up the last four Little Bird helicopters, and ensuring they had all their troops and equipment.From Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of Air Mobility Command, watched on video screens as the aircraft lined up for takeoff. One screen showed a scroll of the mIRC chat stream — the online message application that the military uses to communicate. And she could hear the orders from Lt. Col. Alex Pelbath, a pilot who was serving as the mission commander for the final departure.One by one, each C-17 was told to “clamshell” — or close up the ramp. Then Pelbath's final order: “Flush the force.” With that, Wedan began to move her C-17 down the runway.“It was definitely different. I've never been on an airfield where I didn’t really have permission to take off,” said Wedan, noting the absence of air traffic control in the tower.As they lifted off in rapid succession, cheers broke out from the troops on board — most of them special operations forces and soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division.“It was a visible relief,” said Wedan. “You could tell that they had been working really hard. Many of them hadn’t showered in a couple of weeks. They were all incredibly tired. ... You could tell that they were just relieved to be out of there and that their mission was accomplished.”As the last C-17 cleared Kabul airspace, Pelbath's delivered a welcome message: “MAF Safe” — shorthand for saying that the Mobility Air Forces were out of harm's way.Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, commander of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, had been the last soldier to walk up the ramp on the final C-17 to depart. He had been in charge of security for the evacuation mission. Soon after the aircraft were in the air, he sent his own message: “Job well done. Proud of you all.”Crammed onto the floor of the aircraft, exhausted troops found places to sleep. “Everyone was kind of sitting on top of each other — whatever we could do to have them get them on the aircraft and get them out,” said Wedan.Within 30 minutes, she said, most on her plane were asleep. Coleman agreed.“I walked downstairs and they warned me not to go to the bathroom because there were too many people in front of the lav door,” said Coleman. “There was one guy who had a box of water bottles that he was using for a pillow. I don’t know how that could have been comfortable. But, hey, he was fast asleep.”Their flight to Kuwait was about four hours long. Coleman said his plane was lucky enough to have extra toilets. Wedan's had just one — but her crew passed out candy.“They're tired and they’re resting now. But I think, for two and a half weeks, you really saw why it was that a lot of us joined,” said Coleman, who enlisted in 2001 after the Sept. 11 attacks that triggered the U.S. invasion into Afghanistan. “To see everybody step up to make this happen in the amount of time that it took to happen, to move 124,000 people out in less than three weeks. I mean, I couldn’t be prouder to be a C-17 pilot today.”
SIGNS OF THE END OF THE AGE (NOT THE WORLD) THE WORLD GOES ON FOREVER.
GENESIS 1:5,145 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:(ISRAELS HOLY DAYS AND SABBATH STARTS AT 6PM) And for SIGNS (PROPHECY SIGNS TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, OUR DAY)
SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON AND STARS-CHEMICAL WEAPONS
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences;(BIOLOGICAL/CHEMICAL/NUCLEAR) and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON THE MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS-PROPHECY SIGNS) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
REVELATION 16:21 80-120LB HAIL ON HUMANS
21And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent:(80-120 LBS) and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
FAMINE
EZEKIEL 5:16
16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
DEUTORONOMY 28:24
24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
LOCUSTS (DEMONIC) TORTURES SINNERS 5 MONTHS
REVELATION 9:1-6
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke (DEMONIC) locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,221 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
TheGrio-New study shows natural disasters have increased five-fold as NYC floods-Biba Adams-Thu, September 2, 2021, 8:56 AM
Hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, droughts and other major weather events have increased due to climate change.A new report from the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has found that the number of deadly natural disasters has increased five-fold over the past 50 years.Hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, droughts and other major weather events have increased due to climate change. They comprise 50% of all disaster events and 45% of all reported deaths, as well as nearly 75% of economic losses around the world, disproportionately affecting poorer countries, according to the report.There were more than 11,000 reported disasters reported globally, along with two million deaths in the past five decades, and 91% of human loss occurred in developing nations.The WMO notes the loss of life has actually decreased due to technology and more early warning systems.“Economic losses are mounting as exposure increases. But behind the stark statistics lies a message of hope,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. “Improved multi-hazard early warning systems have led to a significant reduction in mortality. Quite simply, we are better than ever before at saving lives.”Waterfall down the stairs at 145th Street station, 1 Train, in #Manhattan, #NYC. Flash #flood warnings are in effect until 11:30 pm. pic.twitter.com/pIvwWpQF1t — NTD News (@news_ntd) September 2, 2021-Oh yeah it’s not confusing at all that NYC currently has both a tornado and flash flood warning in effect and that those things call for the exact opposite protocols pic.twitter.com/HiS1aG7vdQ — Sam H. Escobar (@myhairisblue) September 2, 2021-Seeing way too many videos of cars driving in flood waters in NYC metro area. Can’t be emphasized enough that most flood deaths are caused by precisely that situation. — Alex Lamers (@AlexJLamers) September 2, 2021-This is street 28th after record #rain fall of 7.13 inches in #NYC. Previous highest #rainfall was 3.84 inches.Get used to such #nycflood. Climate change doesnt care about your feelings, or your car, or your business, or your house. #NYCFlooding #NewYork pic.twitter.com/pf1IHILdX— OSINT Insider (@OSINT_ISB) September 2, 2021-The WMO notes that storms are the most prevalent cause of economic damage, the three costliest disasters of the past five decades all being hurricanes that occurred in 2017. In the United States, Hurricane Harvey caused $96.9 billion worth of damage, Maria in the Caribbean $69.4 billion, and Irma wreaked havoc to the tune of $58.2 billion in Cape Verde.“The number of weather, climate and water extremes are increasing and will become more frequent and severe in many parts of the world as a result of climate change,” Taalas said. “That means more heatwaves, drought and forest fires, such as those we have observed recently in Europe and North America.”The news comes as Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast and, as a tropical storm, is causing unprecedented flooding in New York City.The National Weather Service Office serving New York City noted that Wednesday marked the first time it had ever issued a flash flood emergency. More than 3.15 inches of rain fell in Central Park in one hour, making it the wettest hour in the history of record-keeping in NYC, smashing the previous record of 1.94 inches.THE post New study shows natural disasters have increased five-fold as NYC floods appeared first on TheGrio.
Ida remnants flood NY roads, subway as downpours and tornadoes belt US Northeast-Videos show cars and garbage floating down streets, Torah scrolls rescued from Williamsburg synagogue; Postal Service roof collapses in New Jersey, no immediate word on casualties-SEP 2,21-By AP and TOI staff-Today, 10:23 am
The remnants of Hurricane Ida blew through the US’s mid-Atlantic states Wednesday with at least two tornadoes, heavy winds and drenching rains that collapsed the roof of a US Postal Service building, left cars and roads underwater and sent garbage floating through the streets of New York.Social media posts showed homes reduced to rubble in a southern New Jersey county just outside Philadelphia, not far from where the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado Wednesday evening. Authorities did not have any immediate information on injuries.Other videos showed water rushing through Newark Liberty International Airport as the storm moved into New York on Wednesday night.The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, tweeted at 10:30 p.m. that all flights were suspended and all parking lots were closed due to severe flooding. All train service to the airport also was suspended.The US National Weather Service recorded 80 millimeters (3.15 inches) of rain in New York’s Central Park in one hour, far surpassing the 49 millimeters (1.94 inches) that fell in one hour during Tropical Storm Henri on the night of August 21, which was believed at the time to be the most ever recorded in the park.New York’s FDR Drive, a major artery on the east side of Manhattan, was underwater by late evening and subway stations and tracks became so flooded that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority suspended all service. Videos posted online showed subway riders standing on seats in cars filled with water.Water cascades onto a New York City subway train as remnants of Hurricane Ida bring flooding rain to the Northeast. https://t.co/pKqmXs6g8J pic.twitter.com/sYmzPSGb1I — ABC News (@ABC) September 2, 2021-Wild scene in the subway tonight #subwaycreatures #ida pic.twitter.com/G5MJp1qGhw — Rick (@SubwayCreatures) September 2, 2021-Footage also showed a flooded synagogue in a Williamsburg basement, with congregants trying to rescue partly drenched Torah scrolls.?????????? — VIDEO: Sifrei Torah being rescued from a flooded basement Shul in Williamsburg tonight. #IdaRescue pic.twitter.com/1nEuf7Ofe2-- Belaaz (@TheBelaaz) September 2, 2021-Other videos showed vehicles submerged up to their windows on major roadways in and around the city and garbage floating down a street in Queens.BREAKING! Brooklyn, NYC: Numerous roads across New York City are submerged amid ongoing catastrophic flash flooding.Video shows Streets completely Flooded as Cars Sit in Inches of Deep Water in Park Slope Brookln https://t.co/ICV2wKwek7 pic.twitter.com/UWMBbWTgF3 — Lynn (@la17_lynn) September 2, 2021-Costco on Staten Island! pic.twitter.com/gUYVw8tBBN — Mikey Cee (@MikeyCee24) September 2, 2021-At the US Open tennis tournament in Queens, television footage showed fans who had watched matches under the Arthur Ashe Stadium’s retractable roof slogging through several inches of water as they left.Few parts of the region were untouched, and residents huddled inside and endured the anxiety brought on by tornado warnings that gradually moved north and east with the storm.The roof collapsed at the Postal Service building in Kearny, New Jersey, with people inside, police Sgt. Chris Levchak said. Rescue crews were on scene into the night, with no immediate word on the number of people or severity of injuries.Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency in all of New Jersey’s 21 counties, urging people to stay off the flooded roads. Meteorologists warned that rivers likely won’t crest for a few more days, raising the possibility of more widespread flooding. Apparent tornado near N.J. Turnpike earlier tonight #Ida pic.twitter.com/VTtnJBrkY9 — David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) September 2, 2021Soaking rains prompted the evacuations of thousands of people after water reached dangerous levels at a dam near Johnstown, a Pennsylvania town nicknamed Flood City.Ida caused countless school and business closures in Pennsylvania. About 150 roadways maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation were closed and many smaller roadways also were impassable. Several thousand customers were still without power late Wednesday night.Some areas near Johnstown, whose history includes several deadly floods, saw 127 millimeters (5 inches) or more of rain by mid-afternoon, an inundation that triggered an evacuation order for those downstream from the Wilmore dam. Nearby Hinckston Run Dam was also being monitored but appeared stable by late afternoon.Both dams were considered high-hazard dams that are likely to kill someone were they to fail.Evacuees were taken to a nearby high school with help from the Red Cross, National Guard, local transit authority and school transportation services, he said.The 1889 Johnstown flood killed 2,200 people, a disaster blamed on poor maintenance on the South Fork Dam on the Little Conemaugh River. It sent an 11-meter (36-foot) wall of water roaring into a populated area at 65 kph (40 mph).High water drove some from their homes in Maryland and Virginia. The storm killed a teenager, two people were not accounted for and a tornado was believed to have touched down along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.The National Weather Service had predicted flooding from what remained of Hurricane Ida, saying steep terrain and even city streets were particularly vulnerable to a band of severe weather that extended from the Appalachians into Massachusetts. At least 7 cars stuck in this flooded Harlem intersection. NYC now under state of emergency. @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/uw4zbV9K3c — Ali Bauman (@AliBaumanTV) September 2, 2021-Flash flooding knocked about 20 homes off their foundations and washed several trailers away in Virginia’s mountainous western corner, where about 50 people were rescued and hundreds were evacuated. News outlets reported that one person was unaccounted for in the small mountain community of Hurley.Water had almost reached the ceilings of basement units when crews arrived at an apartment complex in Rockville, Maryland, on Wednesday. A 19-year-old was found dead, another person was missing and about 200 people from 60 apartments near Rock Creek were displaced, Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said Wednesday.“In many years I have not seen circumstances like this,” Goldstein said.Tropical Storm Larry was strengthening and moving quickly westward after forming off the coast of Africa earlier Wednesday. Forecasters predicted it would rapidly intensify in a manner similar to Ida, becoming a major hurricane with top wind speeds of 120 mph (193 kph) by Saturday. Kate remained a tropical depression and was expected to weaken without threatening land.
Scattered by Hurricane Ida, New Orleans Jews struggle ahead of High Holidays-While many fled the city, those who remained are faced with long periods without power and air conditioning amid sweltering heat; several services will again be held over Zoom-By Asaf Shalev-SEP 2,21-Today, 4:44 am
JTA — Once the hospice care workers evacuated and electricity went out in New Orleans, Alan Smason and his sister had to figure out what to do about their mother.At 89 and suffering from dementia and a heart condition, she can hardly tolerate the heat of a Louisiana summer without air conditioning. An auxiliary oxygen supply is helping keep her alive.That meant her native city was unsafe after Hurricane Ida made landfall Sunday, temporarily reversing the flow of the Mississippi River and toppling electric transmission towers.Smason, who works as the editor of the Crescent City Jewish News, said they decided to buy her a plane ticket to Cleveland, where she has family that can care for her. This was a hard decision to make because they didn’t have a flight-approved oxygen tank carrier for her. She would have to board without the oxygen.“I don’t know if I am ever going to see my mother again,” Smason said on Tuesday, the day before the scheduled flight. “I trust in God. But I don’t know if she will make it.”The flight was canceled. His mother remains in New Orleans for now, staying with a family member who has a generator powering an air-conditioning unit. Her grandson from Dallas is on the way to pick her up and drive her out of town.The family’s story is just one of many as New Orleans’ Jewish community, along with the rest of the city and region, contends with the effects of this week’s storm. Though the winds were stronger than Katrina’s in 2005 and the city does not know when it will get its power back, a strengthened levee system prevented devastating flooding, meaning that recovery will likely take weeks, not months or years.But those weeks include the Jewish High Holidays, so the region’s Jewish communities are likely to be scattered at a time when Jews typically come together. The widespread evacuations add to an already difficult set of circumstances created by the pandemic with congregations across the country weighing public health directives against the desire to gather in some capacity.“The Jews of New Orleans are dispersed right now,” said Rabbi Katie Bauman, senior rabbi of the city’s Touro Synagogue, said from her family’s temporary home in Memphis. “Many are in other cities having evacuated either before Hurricane Ida arrived or in its aftermath. Some have remained to care for elderly relatives or to take care of their property or for other reasons. The community is a diaspora right now.”Like many congregations in the path of the storm, Bauman and her staff are deciding how to mark Rosh Hashanah, which starts Monday evening. Right now, they are leaning against a return to Touro. It would be too hot to bring however many of the 610 member families indoors without air conditioning, and they can’t count on having the power to stream services for those far away.The clergy will probably gather somewhere else and live broadcast their Rosh Hashanah service, according to Bauman. “This year, with Covid, that was often the mode of prayer, and so we have exercised that muscle a lot,” she said.The congregation is also wise from its experience during the Katrina disaster..New Orleans understands how to handle disruption,” Bauman said. “Most of the congregation lived through Katrina. People understand how this works.”The community’s preparedness and protection offered by the city’s revamped levee system made for a rather calm post-hurricane virtual debriefing held by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans on Tuesday evening.“This is a very, very different situation than what we faced 16 years ago in Katrina,” Arnie Fielkow, the federation’s CEO and president, said to the roughly 80 people gathered on Zoom. “We have learned a lot of lessons even though the AT&T system has been difficult the last couple of days, it’s nowhere near some of the problems we had after Katrina. We are able to stream and listen to some news accounts. It’s important to emphasize.”After an introduction from Fielkow, a representative from the Israeli consulate in Houston spoke, offering solidarity and support, and a member of the Jewish Federations of North America’s Emergency Committee announced an initial funding round of $50,000 for emergency aid.“We realize the importance of taking care of each and everyone in our community, and I’m really pleased that we were able to turn this around so quickly,” said Wendy Abrams of JFNA.Vehicles are diverted around utility poles damaged by the effects of Hurricane Ida, August 31, 2021, in New Orleans.Nearly 20 synagogues, schools, and other institutions representing Jewish communities across southern Louisiana gave stock of their situation. Representatives described the scattering of people induced by the storm and expressed a desire to support the most vulnerable in the community and to extend help to other communities.Jewish federations and synagogues in Texas, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama had relayed offers to provide housing and food. Most clergy in New Orleans were still deciding how to best serve their congregations for the High Holiday services, but it was clear that the Jews affected by the storm were also welcome to join other Jewish communities in the region for prayers.The houses of prayers themselves appear to have all emerged largely unscathed by the gusts of wind kicked up by Ida, aside from some fallen fences, broken windows, and missing shingles.At Touro, the sanctuary is especially old and majestic, having been built in 1909. The building has seen many storms and was flooded a bit in Katrina. Bauman went into the Ida storm worried that the roof would not survive.“We are preparing for a much needed capital campaign. We need a new roof,” she said. “We were so relieved that it stayed where it is.”There was one building with importance for local Jewish history that didn’t survive the hurricane: the former home and tailor shop of the Karnofsky family in New Orleans. It was an important site for jazz legend Louis Armstrong, who found friendship there and early support for his musical development.Bauman is encouraging people to carry on the New Orleans Jewish tradition of supporting those outside their community.“There are real dire needs throughout the state of Louisiana,” she said. “The Jewish community overall is in a strong position but there are people who are running out of food and are without power.”
Number of wildfires in B.C. drops to 224 as rain, cooler weather provide relief-CBC News-Wed., September 1, 2021, 8:33 a.m.
The number of wildfires burning in British Columbia dropped to 224 as much of the province experienced cooler weather with some rain on Tuesday.Emergency Management B.C. said there were 21 evacuation orders covering 3,754 properties as of Monday evening, down from 3,927 properties the day before.Residents of another 6,073 properties were told to be ready to leave on short notice.The provincial state of emergency, originally put in place on July 20, has been extended until at least Sept. 14, the B.C. government said in a press release."Things are trending in the right direction, but we must remain alert and aware of the fires still burning and the potential for others to start," said Mike Farnworth, the minister of public safety and solicitor general."Extending this state of emergency recognizes that the potential for significant wildfire activity persists, even as the nights get longer and the days cool down a bit, so I urge British Columbians to continue to be vigilant."He said the extension will help support the ongoing response to the wildfire situation and will help ensure public safety.Crew leader Brent King, of Australia's New South Wales Rural Fire Service, walks past an area where the B.C. Wildfire Service conducted a controlled burn to help contain the White Rock Lake wildfire. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)-COOLER WEATHER BRINGS RELIEF-An upper low weather pattern has brought bands of rain throughout the southern part of B.C. and is bringing with it some hope for relief after a long summer of record-breaking drought and severe wildfires.Environment Canada expects the rain to continue into Wednesday.The B.C. Wildfire Service says the cooler, wet weather is giving crews a break to build fire lines, set controlled burns, and beat back flames at some of the province's largest out-of-control fires."Having those temperatures decreasing and seeing that bit of precipitation in certain areas can also help see a decrease in fire activity," said fire information officer Shaelee Stearns."This means instead of seeing rank three and four fires, we could be seeking rank one and two, which means we can apply some direct attack methods."A firefighter works on steep terrain to put out hot spots remaining from a controlled burn the B.C. Wildfire Service conducted to help contain the White Rock Lake wildfire. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)-Steve Meggait, owner of Fresh Valley Farms near Vernon, has been eyeing the looming White Rock Lake fire from his pastures suffering from drought.He said a few days of rain won't solve the twin crises."I'm still not seeing enough rain to make any difference," he said. "[This year] is something else, and this is not enough to stop irrigating."PLANNED IGNITION REDUCES RISK OF GROWTH-The emergency operations centre for the central Okanagan says the B.C. Wildfire Service has completed planned ignitions around the destructive White Rock Lake fire that forced the evacuation of 1,316 properties west of Okanagan Lake.The centre said the ignitions resulted in control lines being established in several key areas at the fire's northeast flank, reducing its risk of growth.The wildfire service said in an online post that containment of the White Rock Lake fire might be achieved in the next seven to 10 days, "versus upwards of six weeks if the fire was left to naturally reach containment lines."Significant groundwork & planning occurred over the past two weeks in order to conduct a successful planned ignition. The Thunderbirds Unit Crew, Rangers Unit Crew and RAP India (pictured) worked tirelessly to build a large fuel-free area to support ignitions today. #BCWildfire pic.twitter.com/0Gnku7SX85Significant groundwork & planning occurred over the past two weeks in order to conduct a successful planned ignition. The Thunderbirds Unit Crew, Rangers Unit Crew and RAP India (pictured) worked tirelessly to build a large fuel-free area to support ignitions today. BC Wildfire Service on Twitter: "Significant groundwork & planning occurred over the past two weeks in order to conduct a successful planned ignition. The Thunderbirds Unit Crew, Rangers Unit Crew and RAP India (pictured) worked tirelessly to build a large fuel-free area to support ignitions today. #BCWildfire pic.twitter.com/0Gnku7SX85 / Twitter" BC Wildfire Service on Twitter: "Significant groundwork & planning occurred over the past two weeks in order to conduct a successful planned ignition. The Thunderbirds Unit Crew, Rangers Unit Crew and RAP India (pictured) worked tirelessly to build a large fuel-free area to support ignitions today. #BCWildfire pic.twitter.com/0Gnku7SX85 / Twitter" — BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) BC Wildfire Service on Twitter: "Significant groundwork & planning occurred over the past two weeks in order to conduct a successful planned ignition. The Thunderbirds Unit Crew, Rangers Unit Crew and RAP India (pictured) worked tirelessly to build a large fuel-free area to support ignitions today. #BCWildfire pic.twitter.com/0Gnku7SX85 / Twitter"Significant work took place over the last two weeks to clear fuel from the ground in preparation for the planned ignition, the service added.The emergency centre said the fire service will provide recommendations as soon as possible on when local governments may lift evacuation orders or alerts.It's anticipated that residents will be provided with a guide for returning home and invited to an information session by the middle of this week, it said.Elsewhere, the fire service said the two-square-kilometre Skaha Creek fire near Penticton was not threatening any structures, and cooler weather with a chance of showers was expected to help crews make progress containing it on Tuesday.The Skaha Creek fire is pictured on Aug. 29, 2021. (Submitted by Meghann Fletcher)-The City of Penticton has activated its emergency operations centre to support the response to the fire, while the Penticton Indian Band issued an evacuation alert for 240 properties as a precaution.The B.C. government reports that 1,560 wildfires have scorched close to 8,660 square kilometres of land since the fire season began on April 1.Environment Canada reports the months of March and May were the driest in the region on record, and 2021 has been one of the five driest years in a century.Although the rain is bringing relief now, it might not last. Forecasters are predicting above-normal temperatures and a drying trend through September.This article was originally published by CBC News with files from The Canadian Press, Brittany Roffel and Tom Popyk.
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The Canadian Press-Hurricane Ida's aftermath, recovery uneven across Louisiana-Thu., September 2, 2021, 10:12 a.m.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In New Orleans, an ongoing power outage after Hurricane Ida is making the sweltering summer unbearable. But in some areas outside the city, that misery is compounded by a lack of water, flooded neighborhoods and severely damaged homes.Four days after Hurricane Ida struck, the storm's aftermath — and progress in recovering from it — are being felt unevenly across affected communities in Louisiana. The levee system revamped after Katrina protected New Orleans from catastrophic flooding after Ida struck on Sunday with 150 mph (230 kph) winds, tied for the fifth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the mainland U.S.The power was back on before dawn Thursday in parts of the city's central business district, Uptown, Midtown, New Orleans East and the Carrollton area, the electricity company Entergy announced. Utility crews also restored power to Ochsner’s main hospital campus in Jefferson Parish and several hospitals near Baton Rouge. City crews completely cleared some New Orleans streets of fallen trees and debris, and a few corner stores reopened.Outside New Orleans, neighborhoods remained flooded and residents were still reeling from damage to their homes and property. More than 1,200 people were walking through some of Ida’s hardest-hit communities to look for those needing help, according to the Louisiana Fire Marshal’s office. President Joe Biden was scheduled to visit Louisiana on Friday to survey the damage, the White House said.Gayle Lawrence lost two cars, refrigerators and almost everything in her garage to floodwaters in southern Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish. The garage was filled with marsh grass and dead fish. Scores of other homes in the neighborhood were also flooded.“The house is solid. It didn’t even move. But when the water came up, it destroyed everything,” she said.In Jefferson Parish, authorities on Wednesday were still waiting for floodwaters to recede enough for trucks carrying food, water and repair supplies to begin moving into Lafitte and other low-lying communities. The parish neighbors New Orleans and saw widespread destruction from Ida.Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said a gas shortage was hampering hospital staff, food bank employees and other critical workers.“Today, we’re a broken community,” Sheng told a news conference. "It won’t always be that way.”Evacuees considering returning home to Terrebonne Parish were warned by emergency officials on Twitter that “there are no shelters, no electricity, very limited resources for food, gasoline and supplies and absolutely no medical services.”The leader of Louisiana’s largest hospital system, Ochsner Health, is considering opening a field hospital somewhere in Terrebonne or Lafourche parish because the shuttering of most of the hospitals in the area removed about 250 to 300 beds. When "folks come back, this is going to definitely put a strain on the situation,” Ochsner President and CEO Warner Thomas told reporters.Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he's pleased that power returned for some people. It's “critically important to show progress” after the storm, he said, while acknowledging that much more work lies ahead. Roughly 2,600 people remain in shelters, he said.“I’m very mindful that it’s a start, and only a start,” he told a news conference.As the staggering scope of the disaster began to come into focus, with a private firm estimating that total damage from Ida could exceed $50 billion, making it among the costliest U.S. hurricanes.Ida's remnants caused catastrophic flooding in New York City and surrounding areas and tornados struck around Philadelphia. At least nine deaths have been confirmed in the Northeast with officials warning there would be more once authorities confirm details.But about 989,000 homes and businesses — 44% of all state utility customers in southeast Louisiana, from the New Orleans area to Baton Rouge — were without power, according to the state Public Service Commission. In neighboring Mississippi, more than 30,000 customers had no electricity. More than 600,000 people were without water.Hard-hit areas in southeast Louisiana were under a heat advisory Thursday, with forecasters warning combined heat and humidity could make some areas feel like 106 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius).New Orleans officials opened seven places where people could get a meal and sit in air conditioning. The city was also using 70 transit buses as cooling sites, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said.Karen Evans charged electronic devices at a New Orleans gym where four tall fans stirred the air. Her home in the city was not damaged, but she was struggling without power.“The great challenge is living a life in a sweltering place without air conditioning,” she said.____Deslatte reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Associated Press writers Kevin McGill in New Orleans; Stacey Plaisance in Lafitte, Louisiana; Jeff Martin in Marietta, Georgia; Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi; Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland; Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.Rebecca Santana, Melinda Deslatte And Janet Mcconaughey, The Associated Press.
