- [Announcer] This is CBN Newswatch.
- And thank you so much for joining us
for this first edition of CBN Newswatch.
I'm Efrem Graham.
We want to begin this hour
with the 2020 presidential campaign.
Despite it being more than a year away,
campaigning is underway,with a crowded field
of some 15 Democrats, and moreare likely to join the race.
One of the top issuesfor Democrats will be
changing America's form of government,
and the way we elect our president.
Among the proposed changes,
abolishing the Electoral College.
- We can have national voting,
and that means get ridof the Electoral College.
(crowd cheers)
- It was the Electoral College vote
that gave PresidentDonald Trump the victory
over Hillary Clinton back in 2016.
Clinton won the popular vote.
Democrats also want to add more justices
to the U.S. SupremeCourt, which in their view
has become increasingly conservative.
Another Democratic proposal
is lowering the voting age to 16.
President Trump's responseto the Democrats' plan was
to tweet overnight, the Democratsare getting very strange.
And CBN News internationalcorrespondent Dale Hurd is here,
and joins us now with more on this story.
So what's behind these proposed changes?
- Well, I mean, if you're a Democrat,
there's a feeling that the popular will
of the people is being thwartedby old, outmoded ideas,
like the Electoral College,and they wanna get rid of it.
- How does the public feel though,
about getting rid ofthe Electoral College?
- That's a good, I'veseen polls on either side.
Obviously the left wantsto get rid of it, you know,
we don't use that kind of system
when we elect other lawmakers,
why are we using itonly for the president?
In a way, they have a point, but,
there are arguments onthe other side as well.
- The founding fathers musthave thought it was important,
what do you think theywould think about it?
Is it still relevant today, or not?
- If they came back, and after(Efrem laughs)
they got over their profounddepression over the state
of the Republic, the weird ideas we have
and all the, I mean, youknow, they would say,
this is precisely why they instituted it.
It was to protect from alarge block that wanted
to do damage to theconstitution, and in their view,
removing the Electoral College,
which is what, you know,Democrats want to do,
in their mind is doingdamage to the constitution.
- Dale Hurd, thank youso much for your insight.
President Donald Trump met
with Brazilian presidentJair Bolsonaro Tuesday.
At a Rose Garden press conference,
the two announce new tradeagreements, and a commitment
to work closely together in theregional and global affairs.
Bolsonaro seeks closer tiesto the United States, in fact,
he's been dubbed the Trump of the Tropics.
He sat down with CBN'sGeorge Thomas Tuesday
in Washington, D.C., totalk about the views he has
in common with ourpresident, and why he has
the strong support ofBrazil's evangelicals.
- [Translator] To a large extent,I support what Trump does.
He wants to make America great,
and I also want to make Brazil great.
I also have concerns aboutthe indiscriminate entrance
of foreigners, without any criteria.
But beyond this, we are both Christians,
and are God-fearing men.
The evangelicals of Brazil are equivalent
to a third of thepopulation, and are growing.
I had massive support from them,
because until recently, they had no one
to support who sharedtheir values and faith.
- And George Thomas joins usnow, from our D.C. Bureau.
So, George, why are Brazilian evangelicals
so strongly behind this president?
- In large part, Efrem,because for 20, 25 years,
since the modern eraof democracy in Brazil,
and the fall of thedictatorship in the early 80s,
evangelical Christians in Brazil
really did not have one candidate.
It was so fractured, theentire sort of voting block
was fractured across numerous candidates.
This past year's electionwas so significant,
because Jair Bolsonaroemerged as the voice
that could representthe ideals, the values,
and the aspirations of Brazil's growing,
if I may even use the word,exploding evangelical community.
And so, he emerged as theperson, and so they all rallied,
majority of them ralliedaround him, and that's why,
in essence, he won thepresidential contest.
- In his talk with the president,
did he talk about Venezuela?
- Oh, absolutely, it wasat the top of the agenda,
in addition to bilateral trade
and other foreign policy issues,Venezuela was numero uno,
if I may use that phrase,primarily because Venezuela sits
to the southern border of Brazil and so,
it's a huge concern for the Brazilians.
Thousands of Venezuelanshave crossed the border
seeking shelter and refuge inBrazil, and also incidentally,
shortly after PresidentTrump came out and said
that Nicolas Maduro,the socialist president
of Venezuela had to step down,
and recognized the interimleadership of Juan Guaido,
Jair Bolsonaro came right inline with President Trump,
along with some 60 other headsof state around the world,
and so, it was a monumentalshift for Brazil.
Why, because Brazil hashistorically held a sort
of anti-American foreign policy attitude,
and has always supportedtheir regional neighbors,
for example, Venezuela and Cuba.
And so the fact that thenewly-elected Brazilian president
would go against Nicolas Maduro, and side
with the United States wasvery, very significant.
And those talks werepart of the discussions
yesterday afternoon at the White House.
- Jair Bolsonaro now alsomet with evangelical leaders
following the interview,tell us about that.
- He did.
You know, he said inthe meeting with these,
about 18 evangelicalleaders from a wide spectrum
of the American Christiancommunity, he said,
"I am in familiar territory,"because he has had
numerous discussions, eventswith evangelical Christians,
with Catholics, keep in mind,Brazil has the largest number
of Catholics in the world, sohe's in familiar territory.
By the way, Bolsonaro's wife Michelle
is an evangelical Christian.
She attends a Baptist church.
They both do attend aBaptist church every week,
and so, he was in familiar territory.
The evangelical leaders came around him,
not only to support him,to say we stand with you,
we will continue to pray for your nation,
but said to the president, what can we do
to come alongside your nationand to lift the aspirations
of Brazilians, and to givethem hope for the future,
for the long-term, not justeconomically, politically,
but also more importantly,for the men and women
around that table,spiritually, what can we do.
And so they laid, prayed forhim, encouraged him to say
that the Christians inAmerica are praying for him,
praying for the nation ofBrazil, and whatever they can do
to help his nation theywill do, so they also agreed
that they will join theirefforts to bring relief
and desperate humanitariansupplies, and other facilities,
and other needs, to theVenezuelans in Brazil.
- All right, SeniorInternational Correspondent
George Thomas, thank youso much for your time.
- You're welcome, sir.
- During the news briefingwith President Bolsonaro
in the Rose Garden, asGeorge Thomas just reported,
the crisis in Venezuelawas also a big topic.
President Donald Trumpsays the U.S. could impose
harsher sanctions onVenezuela in an effort
to oust President Nicolas Maduro.
More than 10% of people inVenezuela have fled the country.
About a million of them arenow next door, in Columbia.
CBN's Operation Blessing hasbeen working on the border
between Venezuela and Columbiaat a bridge that serves
as the crossing between the two countries.
The international directorthere, for international relief,
he took an OperationBlessing team to Columbia,
to figure out where aid canhave the biggest impact.
- [Diego] People just drinkingwater from the rivers,
contaminate, polluted, andOperation Blessing has a lot
of solutions, tools and equipment
to provide clean water topeople here in Columbia.
- Operation Blessing isbringing water treatment,
medicine, first aid, lights and formula,
as well as vitamins for children.
CBN's David Brody's in theMiddle East covering Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo'svisit to Kuwait and Israel.
He'll have analysis on whyKuwait is crucial in the fight
against Iran, and have areport on Pompeo's meeting
with Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu.
Be sure to catch today'sFaith Nation for that story
and more, from our bureauin the nation's capital.
Well, it is being called theworst humanitarian crisis
in Mozambique's recent history.
That is according to aidworkers, as they work
around the clock to save the victims
of a massive flood,triggered by a cyclone.
They're rescuing victimsfrom trees and rooftops,
as the flooding is so catastrophic,
it created what's beingcalled an inland ocean.
Mozambique's president says the death toll
could reach a thousand people.
Many more are missing and400,000 are left homeless,
after the double-punch ofthe cyclone and flooding.
The damage isn't over yet,as heavy rains are expected
to continue in that part ofAfrica, through Thursday.
Vice President Mike Pencevisited flood-ravaged areas
of both Nebraska and Iowa Tuesday,
where three people died,and two are missing.
The historic flood watersleft more than 80 cities
and 70 counties underwater in Nebraska alone.
A total of six states haveseen record levels of flood.
The Vice President showinghis support by praying
with the people devastatedby this natural disaster,
and telling them they are not alone.
- To all the families thathave seen their homes flooded,
seen livestock lost,who've had their lives,
their communities upset bythese extraordinary floods
and severe weather, our messageis this, we're with you.
- The Vice Presidentpromised federal resources
and aid would be providedfor families in need.
Repairing public property could cost
more than a half billion dollars,
and agricultural lossescould be double that.
A miracle story is emergingafter a tornado swept
through Kentucky last week.
The storm ripped the roofoff a church building,
where 40 preschool children and10 church staff were inside.
The Baptist Press reported the only room
that survived unscathedwas the room they were in,
and miraculously, no onewas killed or injured.
Church members say during the storm,
the children were singing Jesus Loves Me,
and He's Got the Whole World in His Hands.
The twister damaged severalother buildings nearby.
Coming up, it is a cause both Democrats
and Republicans are uniting around,
and it's all about protectingyour personal rights,
when it comes to your personal property.
Now, here's a look at our
top-trending stories at CBNNews.com.
Stay with us.
- [Announcer] CBN presents,The I Wills of God,
your path to overcoming fear and anxiety.
- We're going to talk about some
of the incredible promisesGod has made to his children.
- [Announcer] In PatRobertson's newest teaching,
you'll discover the I Wills of God.
I will rescue him, protect him,
answer him, be with him in trouble,
deliver him, honor him, satisfy him
with long life, show him my salvation.
And see amazing stories ofGod's promises in action.
- What I felt was loved and treasured.
- God spared my live twice in three days.
- The good Lord, hegive me a second chance.
- [Announcer] Break freefrom stress and despair.
- [Pat] The Lord doesn'twant you to live in fear,
but to know the rewardsgiven to those who love God.
- [Announcer] Call1-800-700-7000, or visit CBN.com.
The I Wills of God, your path
to overcoming fear and anxiety.
- Hello, I'm Terry Meeuwsen.
Did you know there are more
than 148 million orphansin the world today?
148 million.
But it was three littlegirls that taught me
about the plight of orphans.
My husband and I spent nearly a month,
immersed in the daily activitiesof the Ukrainian orphanage,
as we waited to adopt three sisters.
I saw first-hand the utter loneliness,
the pain of rejection,
and the overwhelming desire to be loved.
That experience changedme forever, and out of it,
grew a ministry from my heart,called Orphan's Promise.
Today, we're helping orphansand vulnerable children
in more than 50 countries worldwide.
Thousands of childrenare now in safe homes,
they're being educated, andthey're learning life skills.
I'm asking you to join with me,
and become family to these children.
Will you call the numberon your screen right now?
Because every child deservesa chance to be happy.
- Welcome back.
In a rare show of unity, allnine Supreme Court justices
unanimously agreedrecently, police should have
limited power to seize private property.
The ruling has advocates on both sides
of the aisle celebrating, andas Amber Strong now reports,
is sparking new hopes aboutpartisanship in Washington.
- What do a Christian rock band
and a politician have in common?
Both saw their personalbelongings disappear,
through a practice knownas civil asset forfeiture.
- After all of this, I just want get
all the money back to the proper owners.
- [Amber] Eh Wah, managerof a Christian music group,
was pulled over byOklahoma law enforcement
after a week on the road.
The $30,000 they'd raisedfor charity, seized.
Police thought he was a drug dealer,
though no drugs were found.
And GOP candidate GerardoSerrano lost his truck,
after border patrol officers
found five bullets in his console.
He was detained, but never charged.
In both high-profile cases,
the property was returned, eventually.
The practice is perfectly legal.
- Law enforcement has a suspicion
that something you'vegot on you, a fancy car,
whatever money's inyour glove compartment,
may have been involvedin a crime in some way,
and they say, well,because of my suspicion,
I'm just going to take this.
- [Amber] Defenders saythere are positive sides
to civil asset forfeiture.
(sirens wailing)Law enforcement uses
the resources for equipment and salaries.
According to the Institute for Justice,
the DOJ used it to take$4.5 billion in 2014.
Lawmakers like Senator Rand Paul want
to put the practice on trial.
- Many poor people in our countryhave cash taken from them,
and then the government says, prove to us
where you got the cash, andthen you can get it back.
But the burden's on the individual.
- [Amber] Then came the Supreme Court.
In the case of Timbs v. Indiana,
the court decided the$42,000 vehicle seized
from Tyson Timbs was excessive,
more than four times the amount
in fines he would havepaid for that conviction.
While the court's rulingdoesn't end asset forfeiture,
experts predict it will help fuel
the next big bi-partisan push.
- A lot of lawmakers on theright and the left are saying,
my goodness, isn't this aviolation of individual liberties?
I mean, it's one thingif you convict somebody,
but if you haven't been convicted,
the government is justtaking your private property.
- [Amber] And that may causelaw enforcement to think twice,
before putting its handsin the property cookie jar.
Amber Strong, CBN News, Washington.
- [Efrem] Still ahead, on Worldbeat,
how evangelical leaders andArab world leaders are meeting,
and how it could literallychange the world.
Stay with us.
(urgent music)
- [Announcer] CBN presents,The I Wills of God,
your path to overcoming fear and anxiety.
- We're going to talk about some
of the incredible promisesGod has made to his children.
- [Announcer] In PatRobertson's newest teaching,
you'll discover the I Wills of God.
I will rescue him, protect him,
answer him, be with him in trouble,
deliver him, honor him, satisfy him
with long life, show him my salvation.
And see amazing stories ofGod's promises in action.
- What I felt was loved and treasured.
- God spared my live twice in three days.
- The good Lord, hegive me a second chance.
- [Announcer] Break freefrom stress and despair.
- [Pat] The Lord doesn'twant you to live in fear,
but to know the rewardsgiven to those who love God.
- [Announcer] Call1-800-700-7000, or visit CBN.com.
The I Wills of God, your path
to overcoming fear and anxiety.
- Hello, I'm Terry Meeuwsen.
Did you know there are more
than 148 million orphansin the world today?
148 million.
But it was three littlegirls that taught me
about the plight of orphans.
My husband and I spent nearly a month,
immersed in the daily activitiesof the Ukrainian orphanage,
as we waited to adopt three sisters.
I saw first-hand the utter loneliness,
the pain of rejection,
and the overwhelming desire to be loved.
That experience changedme forever, and out of it,
grew a ministry from my heart,called Orphan's Promise.
Today, we're helping orphansand vulnerable children
in more than 50 countries worldwide.
Thousands of childrenare now in safe homes,
they're being educated, andthey're learning life skills.
I'm asking you to join with me,
and become family to these children.
Will you call the numberon your screen right now?
Because every child deservesa chance to be happy.
(epic music)
- Hello everyone, welcome to Worldbeat,
where we show you what's happening
in the world, and howyou can pray about it.
In the last two years, some of the leaders
in the Middle East have been meeting
with American evangelical Christians.
Leaders from those nationsinclude Egypt, Saudi Arabia,
Jordan, the United Arab Emirates,
and most recently, Azerbaijan.
The American delegationincluded pastors, politicians,
human rights and religiousfreedom advocates.
The goal, organizers say, isto hopefully improve relations
between Muslim and Christian communities,
and to create an atmosphere that fosters
greater religious freedom and tolerance.
One person who has played a key role
in advancing these newrelationships in Muslim countries
is author and Middle Eastexpert Joel Rosenberg.
His newest novel is The Persian Gamble.
Thanks for coming on the show, Joel.
How significant are these meetings
between evangelicalChristians and Muslim leaders?
- I think we're in a game-changing moment
where the leaders ofArab Muslim countries,
who used to have no contactwith evangelical followers
of Jesus are not only opening the doors,
but they're welcoming usin, like state visits.
We're meeting not just withlow-level government officials,
we're meeting withPresident el-Sisi personally
for hours at a time, KingAbdullah in Jordan for hours
at a time, the CrownPrince of Saudi Arabia
and the United Arab Emirates,again, for hours at a time.
Building relationship not just with them,
but yes, with their inner circle.
It's historic, and I'm encouraged.
- Why are Muslim countries suddenly open
to dialog with evangelical Christians?
- I think the primaryreason is that they realize,
these Arab leaders, theyrealize that they have
to convince the Americanpeople, not just Washington,
that they're on the good guys side.
That Iran, and the Muslim Brotherhood,
and the radical Muslims, are the bad guys,
and they're good guys.
But right now, for decades, they have kept
their messaging only to Washington.
And they've gotta reachthe American people
to convince us thatthey're making big reforms,
that they want peace, that they're getting
better towards Israel.
So, how do you do that?
Well, if you spend timewith evangelical leaders,
you begin to reach 20, 25%of the population over time,
because the American Christian community
is very large and influential.
So that's their, I thinkthat's their primary reason.
- And as you know,minority Christians in many
of these Muslim countriessuffer tremendous persecution.
What promises have these governments made
to protect Christians in the Middle East?
- Well, each country isdifferent, but I'm encouraged
that when, if you're aMuslim Arab leader who brings
in evangelical leaders tomeet with your top leaders,
you have to expect thatwe're gonna be asking
about the conditions of the Christians,
how to expand religious freedom.
I'll take Egypt as an example.
I'm so encouraged by PresidentAbdel Fattah el-Sisi,
who has rescued his countryfrom radical Islamism,
rescued them from the Muslim Brotherhood,
rebuilt all the churchesthat were burned down
and damaged during the uprisings,
and has now built the largest church
in the entire Middle East,and given it as a gift
to the Egyptian Christiancommunity, on Christmas Eve.
Like, this is a man thatneeds to be encouraged.
Is Egypt doing everything right?
No, there's changes that have to be made,
but when you're makinglife safer for Christians,
and expanding religiousfreedom, Christians oughta come
and say thank you, and that's what we did.
- I'm curious, can dialoghelp break down some
of the stereotypes orprejudices that Christians
and Muslims have of eachother and their communities?
- I believe they can, absolutely.
If you don't know a person,if you don't have time
to dialog on issues, eventhat you disagree on,
then it's easy to sortof keep a stereotype.
But you know, no Saudi leader in 300 years
of the Saud family has everinvited evangelical followers
of Jesus Christ into thepalace for discussion.
The fact that they invited me,and the delegation I brought,
was historic, and allowedus to begin talking.
You know, I asked theCrown Prince, you know,
this is, the termevangelical Christian is not
even a term probablyused much in the Gulf.
Could we just share with you a little bit
about what that means?
Could we pray for you?
And we did in the end, not just for him,
but for every leader, we'veasked, can we pray for you,
and we do so in the name of Jesus.
And this is breaking down barriers,
and it's evidence, not thatthese leaders are perfect,
but they're moving in a direction
of wanting more openness,more friendship with the West,
and with Christians in particular.
- How can Christians pray forleaders in the Muslim world?
- Well, we're commandedto pray for leaders,
for kings and those in authority,
that the Christians couldhave peace, and then also
that they might understandbetter who we are as followers
of Jesus, and so, we needto keep praying for them.
Every day I do, and I wouldencourage your viewers
to be praying for these leadersas well, and in Israel too.
- Joel, will you pray right now,
for the Muslim leaders in the Middle East?
- I'd be honored to.
Father, thank you so muchthat you love all people,
that you desire all peopleto know you, and your word,
and your son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray for my friend,President Sisi, King Abdullah,
for Crown Prince of SaudiArabia, Mohammad Bin Salman,
and the Crown Prince ofUAE, Mohammed bin Zayed.
And I pray for Prime Minister Netanyahu,
and all their families and advisors.
Have mercy on them, be graciousto them, help them be kinder
and more supportive ofthe Christian communities
in their countries, toexpand religious freedom,
and have mercy on their familiesand them, on their hearts,
their souls, and thefortunes of their countries.
We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
- Joel, thank you so much forjoining us on the broadcast.
Well folks, that is it fortoday's edition of Worldbeat.
Until next time, goodbye,and God bless you.
Now back to Newswatch.
(serious music)
- [Efrem] And still tocome here on Newswatch,
what cows and collegestudents have in common,
when it comes to Chick-fil-A.
Stay with us.
(urgent music)
(lively music)
- [Announcer] Parents,the Superbook Bible app
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They'll have fun whilethey learn God's word.
The Superbook kid'sBible app, available now.
- [Announcer] Life, it'smeant to be lived fully.
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(bright music)
- [Announcer] Discover The I Wills of God.
I will rescue him, protect him,
answer him, be with him in trouble,
deliver him, honor him, satisfy him
with long life, show him my salvation.
- What I felt was loved and treasured.
- God spared my live twice in three days.
- The good Lord, hegive me a second chance.
- [Announcer] Call1-800-700-7000, or visit CBN.com.
The I Wills of God, the latestteaching from Pat Robertson.
- [Caitlin] Check out the CBNNews Daily Rundown podcast,
each week day with me, Caitlin Burke.
Click on the Show tab at CBNNews.com,
where you can listen and subscribe.
- Chick-fil-A is growing in popularity
on college campuses acrossthe country, despite efforts
at some schools to ban the restaurants.
The Cathy family foundedChick-fil-A and is known
for their support of traditional marriage.
The College Fix reports Chick-fil-A is on
about 300 campuses now, eventhough progressive groups
have protested them for beingperceived as anti-LGBTQ,
simply because they standfor the biblical definition
of marriage being betweenone man and one woman.
Chick-fil-A leaders saythey don't discriminate,
and don't have a politicalor social agenda.
- Well, time now for your Wednesday word,
and today's word is miracle.
Ask yourself this, have you ever seen one,
or perhaps you need one.
Here's the good news,miracles still happen.
Your job is to believe God'spower is the same today
as it always was, and it always will be.
Take comfort in that Wednesday word,
and make today a great day.
That will do it for this firstedition of CBN Newswatch.
You can find more on the issues
you care most about,always at CBNNews.com.
And you can watch CBNNews programs any time
throughout the day onthe CBN News Channel.
Thank you so much for watching.
We'll see you right backhere, same time tomorrow.
Goodbye everybody, and God bless.
(urgent music)
