‘What You Need To Know:’ Government Shutdown Imminent, Justice Thomas Investigation, and More!

1. Thanks McCarthy…Government Shutdown is Imminent

Thanks McCarthy…Government Shutdown is Imminent

What You Need to Know:

There are now less than seven days remaining during which the U.S. House, specifically House Republicans, must reach an agreement to keep the federal government running. The deadline is Saturday night, September 30. With just a few days available to craft a bill to pass out of the House, Speaker McCarthy (R-CA) chose to send his Republican members home for the weekend. They are scheduled to return to the Capitol Tuesday, where McCarthy said he “hopes” to pass a series of long-term spending bills. The likelihood of the bills staying alive, if passed by the House, are slim, as the next stop is the Democratic-controlled Senate.

2. Report: Investigation into Justice Thomas Relationship with Good Ol’ Rich Boy Network

Report: Investigation into Justice Thomas Relationship with Good Ol’ Rich Boy Network

What You Need to Know: 

Ethical questions continue to swirl around the United States Supreme Court, and one justice in particular. A new Pro Publica report indicates “Justice Clarence Thomas Secretly Participated in Koch Network Donor Events.” The investigative news site revealed that Thomas not only attended, but also participated in two previously undisclosed donor events sponsored by the Koch (pronounced Coke) network, despite the cases brought before the Supreme Court by Koch Industries.

3. Half of U.S. Men Have HPV

Half of U.S. Men Have HPV

What You Need to Know:

Nearly half of all American men are infected with the cancer-causing human papillomavirus, but unlike women, who are infected in similar numbers, men are more likely to stay infected throughout their lives, according to a new study.
To gauge the prevalence of HPV infection in men, researchers analyzed data from nearly 1,900 men who took part in the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Samples from penile swabs were tested for the infection.

About 45 percent of men in this country are infected with the sexually transmitted disease, as are 45 percent of women. Among women, the prevalence of HPV infection drops to about 22 percent as they age, but it remains high among men, said lead researcher Jasmine Han, M.D., of the division of gynecologic oncology at Womack Army Medical Center, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

4. A White Woman Who Used Black Dolls to Intimidate Her Neighbor Was Sentenced to One Year in Jail

A White Woman Who Used Black Dolls to Intimidate Her Neighbor Was Sentenced to One Year in Jail

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE

What You Need to Know:

In 2019, Cheryl Lynn Pytleski, a 64-year-old White woman in Chancellor, Alabama, hung “racially offensive homemade dolls” on her neighbor’s fence to intimidate and force them to move out of the neighborhood. On September 6, she was sentenced to one year in jail for violating her Black neighbor’s civil rights. This is the maximum allowed under the federal statute, and there is no parole in the federal system.

5. God is Always Nearby

God is Always Nearby

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY WILLIE MCIVER

What You Need to Know:

Did you know that God is always with you?  Well, He is.  It says so in the Bible.  Psalm 16:8 reads, “I know the LORD is always with me.  I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.”  Now, you may need a little more proof that God is sitting next to you and is just waiting to help you and Bless you.  Here’s how you can check: 

Speak His Name.  Then pour out your heart to Him.  God responds to His children when we call out His name. 

Have a humble heart. James 4:6 says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 

BELIEVE He is near.  Sometimes we FEEL He is not near.  Get out of your feelings.  It’s not about what you feel; it’s about your FAITH.  You have to have faith and believe He is near and tell Him that.  He’ll hear you.