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California Supreme Court orders Riverside County sheriff to return 650,000 seized ballots A Republican California sheriff must return more than a half-million ballots he seized for an investigation into unfounded voting improprieties in a special election last year, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday. Read More.

Cities often squabble over homelessness. A new law forces one community to try something different The Legislature is forcing the city and county of Sacramento to try something unusual in their fight against homelessness, and both critics and supporters of the controversial plan say it could have broad implications for the rest of the state. Read More.

Trump's state dinner for Xi to feature sea bass and a long list of tech titans A tech-heavy guest list, the fashion choices of those on it, who sits where, their body language throughout the night and what’s on the menu: these are the softer — often and glitzier — details of diplomacy. Read More.

Delegates walk out as Netanyahu addresses UN, and other Mideast developments Israel's increasingly isolated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took center stage at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, defending his decision to attack Iran as an easy one. Read More. An isolated Netanyahu takes UN stage as he seeks reelection at home Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began the year declaring that he stood “shoulder to shoulder” with U.S. President Donald Trump as the two countries launched a war against Iran. But this week, as world leaders gather in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, there are no plans for the two men to be in the same room, or even in the same city. Read More. Small bites from the UN: Defiance, fiery language and a cold building Competing speeches from Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas commanded attention at the United Nations on Thursday, even though the Palestinian leader wasn't there in person: The United States denied him a visa. Read More.

🍗 1 for the road: KFC's new concept Photo: Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi/Axios Patio seating, a booth for special celebrations, lobby hosts and expanded menu options are part of a new concept that KFC is testing in McKinney, Texas, Axios Dallas' Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi reports. A host greets visitors as they enter. Customers can order at a kiosk or with an employee. Dine-in orders are brought to the table. Photo: Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi/Axios 🐓 There's also a display case with KFC merch, including socks, sweatshirts, phone cases and water bottles. KFC U.S. president Catherine Tan-Gillespie tells Axios: "We basically imagined, 'If the Colonel was building this restaurant today, what would it look like?'" Dig in ... KFC opens a Texas restaurant to test ideas for reclaiming its fried chicken crown KFC has been taking a licking from fried chicken rivals like Raising Cane's, but the global fast-food chain has a plan to return to the top of the U.S. pecking order. Read More.

🐼 China is sending two pandas to Zoo Atlanta after Beijing reclaimed four of them in 2024 amid diplomatic tensions, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced during his state visit today. Go deeper.

🛰️ Google and SpaceX are set to launch an experimental satellite to test the idea of AI data centers in space, the N.Y. Times reports. Gift link.

🎤 Macklemore announces "Free Palestine" tour Screenshot: @macklemore/X Rapper Macklemore announced a "Free Palestine" tour today, with stops in Dublin, Paris and London. That's after he was dropped from Ed Sheeran's "Loop Tour" after making pro-Palestinian comments during a performance. 🤳 Macklemore wrote on X: "What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage. When the billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage and which ones are too dangerous to hear, everyone should be paying attention." "So we're going on tour. All proceeds will benefit organizations supporting the Palestinian people and movement." What's next: Artists and U.S. dates are TBD, the rapper said on Instagram. Go deeper.

Meet Meta's AI handheld Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reveals the Muse Charm at Meta Connect in Menlo Park, Calif., yesterday. Photo: Minh Connors/Bloomberg via Getty Images Meta's new Muse Charm is a keychain-sized AI handheld device to bring the viral Muse assistant to the masses, Axios' Ina Fried reports. The Tamagotchi-like gadget has a screen and a digital avatar representing Muse. Meta says the Muse Charm will be available by December. 🎤 CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during yesterday's Meta Connect keynote: "We've packed a lot of technology in this little guy." "So if you're not wearing [smart] glasses, this is going to be by far the fastest way to talk to your Muse and to show them what's going on around you." 🤖 Meta also announced new Muse capabilities, including live video chat, real-time voice conversations with custom voice options and an email address for each person's agent. Zuckerberg said: "I expect that Muse is going to grow into the personal superintelligence that billions of people around the world are going to use to accomplish their goals and improve their lives." The big picture: Other AI companies, including OpenAI, are also working on hardware based around their digital agents. 🤔 Reality check: Muse is also available through a smartphone app. It's unclear what advantages a dedicated gadget might offer. Go deeper ... Meta's next VR headset.

Excellent article!!

To me the issue is that the GC voted on it 3 times in 3 sessions and it was no. If the Union can do what ever it wants, what was the point of voting on it? And this is clearly a "what ever they wanted". The Union statement is so broad it could cover LGBT, even Trans people. There were no boundaries. It appears to me, that some people don't understand the limits of the Union. Maybe that is how they justify the disobedience. Thank you for your insight Gregory.

What is SSPX?

The General Conference appears to have something similar to SSPX going on - only in this case it's the liberal branch of the SDA Church that is seeking to normalize its agenda.

Stendahl was definitely an interesting man who could argue theology. Many in the Lutheran Church are still trying to sort out how he was able to argue that there were no theological or pastoral reasons standing in the way of practicing homosexuals (either in or outside of committed relationships) being ordained as clergy as the ordinations stood before God in faith be they married heterosexual couples or single practicing homosexuals that churned through same-sex partners. Back in the day this was a big deal and picked up by secular media. Here is one account of Dr. Stendahl's really putting his back into ordination for LGBT folks. Reading that article from the early 90's it's amazing to see how things worked themselves out. It's also amazing to see how the seeds of one particular theological slant can germinate and grow in fertile soil. Church Defied as Three Gays Are Ordained - Los Angeles Times

Gentlekpeopole, You can rant and rave all that you want to. Butl, You do nto ulnderstand that actual issue. Ordilnaltion of women in the North American Division is due to thae fact that in the NAD, lthe legal aulthority to ordain any person rests, it is clailmed, withl the Union Conference and not wiltlh any other SDA organization, including the General Conference.

Stendahl described the introspective conscience as one which asks, "On what basis may I find salvation?" He believed that this inquiry was not present in the Eastern churches. It started in the West with Augustine, according to Stendahl. Luther had an introspective conscience. Paul did not. He possessed a "robust conscience." He had lived with a clear conscience toward God all his life. He did regret persecuting the church of God, prior to his "call." While Luther's conversion approximated that of a down and out sinner, Paul's call was like unto that of an OT prophet. Stendahl described the introspective conscience as unique to the West; however, the 7 penitential Psalms, defined by medieval monk Cassiodorus as Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 130, and 143, describe the sufferings of man troubled by an introspective conscience. Psalm 25 might be included in this number, although it is traditionally not. Thomas Schreiner takes serious issue with Stendahl on a number of points: Thomas Schreiner’s Critique of N.T. Wright’s View of Justification – Debating Justification with N.T. Wright and NPP. Part 7 – Krisis & Praxis Dr. Stendahl disagrees with Luther in several areas. Both agreed, however, that Genesis 15:6 is central to the gospel. Stendahl saw in Genesis 15:6 proof that both Jews and Gentiles could comprise a single church comprised of those justified by faith. Luther saw in the same passage the foundation of his justification gospel: “Hence our doctrine that we are justified before God solely through His accounting mercy has its foundation in this passage ”：“Abraham believed in the Lord and He counted it to him for righteousness."

Is this the same "Krister" Stendahl who championed the idea of soul sleep & LGBT clergy ordination?

What is so puzzling to me, is that the GC has tolerated this in NAD. In the other 11 divisions this would have been dealt with swiftly.

In this episode, John made reference to himself as a type of Elijah. Elijah passed his ministry on to Elisha by tossing him his mantle. John the Baptist passed his ministry to Jesus by baptizing him. Jesus later passed His ministry onto the Apostles at Pentecost. Both Elijah and Elisha raised the dead. Elisha even raised a dead man posthumously. When the dead man's body touched Elisha's bones he came to life. Jesus raised the dead as did both Peter and Paul. The ministry of Elijah and Elisha were were a type. It foreshadowed the ministry of John the Baptist, Jesus and the Apostles. This provides evidence for us to accept both the New Testament and the Old Testament as the inspired Word of God. Types and antitypes tie the two cannons of the Bible together.

Roll out the gay pride welcome mat. That's coming next. The denomination has done little if anything to rein in the rebellion of these conferences. In a recent obituary Pastor Rudy Torres has been lionized as a pioneer for female and homosexual inclusion. No coincidence. Women's ordination is more or less a done deal. Homosexuals are next. Gays hope to hijack the Pathfinders for homosexual advocacy. In the 1990s young men in their early 20s had AIDS. They were infected when they were ~10-12 years old, almost certainly through sodomy. Ellie Nesler murdered the man accused of molesting her son at a church camp. That's the future of Adventism. The church may not be Babylon. It can become worse than that, if there is such a thing.

In clear defiance against GC policy, Oregon has approved to ordain 6 women. This is not a question whether you approve of women's ordination or not. This is an issue of rebellion. There are people in the church who believe we need to push the church into the 21st century.

Powerful Hurricane Polo drenches Mexico’s coast as Nolo takes aim at Hawaii MEXICO CITY (AP) — Residents along Mexico’s west coast stacked sandbags to fortify beachfront shops and evacuated their homes, while Hawaii’s Big Island and Maui braced for potentially catastrophic flooding, as separate hurricanes swirled in the Pacific on Thursday. https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-polo-mexico-nolo-hawaii-a036e08f59c3f3842aaba2ee69bd9d37?