Nearly two years into the pandemic, cities and universities are doubling down on COVID restrictions – especially in the Ivy Leagues. Far from settling into a 'new normal', students and faculty are faced with mandatory testing and masking with restrictions barring students from eating at local restaurants – if they can even enter the campus at all. From students and teachers to parents and representatives, many believe these policies are over-the-top, including Senator Rand Paul. CBN News Senior International Correspondent George Thomas spoke to the Senator recently about the “draconian” policies that threaten students’ freedom and psychological well-being.
On today’s episode of the CBN News Daily Rundown: Caitlin Burke joins the podcast to discuss the breaking news of Justice Breyer announcing retirement, plus her interaction today with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. Plus, details on the Freedom Convoy in Canada.
Evacuation efforts in Ukraine are underway, after fear of Russian aggression grew significantly over the weekend. On January 23rd, the State Department published a travel advisory for families of U.S. Embassy Personnel in Kyiv to start evacuating as soon as possible. This comes despite a warning from the Biden Administration that the U.S. isn’t in a position to help do so, underscoring U.S. fears that a Russian invasion could destabilize Ukraine and threaten the embassy’s ability to assist Americans. CBN News Senior International Correspondent George Thomas is on today’s episode to fill us in on what happened over the weekend and what U.S. involvement or lake thereof could mean for Ukraine and the United States.
Also on today’s episode…
Last Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United States heard a religious freedom case surrounding a flag on a flagpole called Shurtleff v. City of Boston. In 2017, Director of Camp Constitution Hal Shurtleff applied to fly a Christian flag outside of Boston’s City Hall in honor of Constitution Day. Although various other flags representing other countries and causes had been flown on the same pole, the city denied Shurtleff’s request. Nearly five years later, the highest court is considering whose voice the flagpole represents: the government, or the public. As we await a decision, CBN News National Security Correspondent Caitlin Burke discusses key points from last week’s arguments, which way the court may be leaning, and what this case means for religious liberty.
Last November, Republicans in the state of Virginia pulled off a shocking upset when Glenn Youngkin surprised the political world and defeated Democratic candidate and former Governor Terry McAuliffe in that state’s race for governor. In what was called a bellwether election for the upcoming midterms, Winsome Sears, a Jamaican-born former Marine, followed suit, becoming the state's first female Lt. Gov. as well as the first woman of color and person of Jamaican descent to hold state-wide office. CBN News reporter Heather Sells sat down for an in-depth interview with Lt. Gov. Sears for a wide-ranging discussion that can been on Sunday, January 23rd at 10pm ET on CBN News, CBNNews.com and the CBN News app, and she joins this week's Rundown for a preview.
President Biden held a press conference today and took questions from several reporters, who took the opportunity to ask Biden about the many problems Americans are facing today including inflation, high gas prices and more. Biden responded by saying he's made "great progress" and blamed any shortcomings on republicans. We break down Biden's comments plus take a look at Open Doors and their update on Christian persecution around the globe with the release of their annual World Watch list.
The U.S. is celebrating the safe release of four hostages from a Texas synagogue on Saturday. A British gunman held the rabbi and three others in captivity for eleven, terrifying hours before being killed by the FBI’s hostage rescue team. An investigation into the act of terror has escalated to an international level with the FBI and UK probing the potential motive behind the attack. CBN News Senior Reporter Dale Hurd is on today’s podcast to talk about what we know and the truth behind the attack that many are afraid to name.
Also in this episode…
Less than a week away from the biggest pro-life event of the year, March for Life, we’re taking a look at what we’re marching for: up close and in detail. Nearly two decades after 3D and 4D ultrasound technology made its debut, the science is better than ever and changing the way women view their pregnancy. CBN News Reporter Charlene Aaron talks about what modern science is revealing to us and how it’s key to taking down Roe v. Wade.
This week, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate affecting large businesses was unconstitutional. The six conservative-leaning justices ruled against the mandate, enforced through OSHA, that required employees to either get vaccinated or be tested and masked while at work. Three liberal-leaning judges dissented, saying their colleagues were subverting the judgment of health experts for their own. But it wasn’t a total defeat for the President, as the High Court sided with him over the need for health care workers to be vaccinated. CBN News' Gary Lane joins the Rundown to discuss the ramifications of this ruling, as well as his interview with an author who is warning automation and artificial intelligence can have a negative effect on our Christian faith.
Also, violent crime is up in several major cities across the country, with some municipalities seeing record-high spikes. Local activists, church leaders and criminologists spoke to CBN News Reporter Charlene Aaron about the epidemic of violence in our nation's urban areas, and she joins the Rundown to discuss next steps and how Christian churches can help.
Americans are starting to feel the pressure of changing economic conditions, namely inflation soaring to levels not seen since 1982. Prices for everyday items like food and gasoline are climbing, leaving President Biden in the hot seat as he promised earlier this summer that inflation would be transitory and not long lasting. We break down this plus Pastor John MacArthur makes headlines after an edited clip goes viral, and is the federal government keeping a database of individuals who seek religious exemptions to the vaccine mandate? These stories and more on today's Daily Rundown.
The Omicron variant is ramping up with daily case averages nearing seven hundred thousand. But with millions of unvaccinated Americans’ jobs on the line, so are the legal battles against the vaccine mandate. The U.S. awaits a decision by the Supreme Court following arguments last Friday about President Biden’s far-reaching vaccine mandate. Meanwhile, employers with 100 or more employees are implementing testing requirements and mask orders to meet today’s compliance deadline. CBN News Medical Reporter Lorie Johnson is on today’s podcast episode to talk about how the mandate might stand up in court, how the Omicron variant is spreading, and the best tools we have to fight COVID in the long run.
This week, the U.S. marked the one year anniversary of the January 6 riots on Capitol Hill in the wake of the challenged 2020 presidential election. In a fiery speech aimed at his predecessor, President Joe Biden laid the blame for what happened on former President Donald Trump's claims the elections were stolen, and U.S. Capitol Police officials testified that, while department force levels are down, they feel they are better equipped to protect the Capitol moving forward. Over the past year, many say the attack on the Capitol has resulted in a more divided America, and national security experts are concerned that the growing division is impacting national security. CBN News National Security Correspondent Caitlin Burke joins the Rundown to talk all things January 6.
Also, a closing story of survival as two Oregon hikers are found after being missing for a week in the snowy, mountainous wilderness. Hear about their dramatic rescue this week on the Rundown as well!