- [Announcer] This is "CBN Newswatch."
- It is Thursday, April8, 2021, I'm Efrem Graham.
Thank you so much for joining us.
We begin with this, mostAmericans disapprove
of President Joe Biden's handling
of the border crisis and immigration.
That is according to a new poll.
This coming as borderagents struggle to keep up
with the skyrocketingnumber of illegal crossings.
CBN News SeniorCorrespondent Tara Mergener
brings us the story fromRio Grande Valley in Texas.
- Given what they seefrom a front row seat,
many tell us they have no confidence
the Biden administrationwill stop the humanitarian
or national security crisisalready out of control.
- It's beyond a border crisis.
- [Tara] And Myra Floresbelieves many South Texas voters,
Republican and Democrat,are furious about it.
- We're talking about child trafficking,
and we're seeing that the cartel
and smugglers are making billions.
And this is the same organization
that is terrorizing also Mexico.
This doesn't benefit anyone.
- [Tara] During our eight daysthrough the Rio Grande Valley
we caught a closeupglimpse of what's troubling
so many here, waves ofmigrants dropped on U.S. soil
each day by the smugglers and drug cartels
they pay thousands of dollars for
what they believe is their only chance
of opportunity and survival.
Latest data from Customsand Border Protection shows
some 171,000 migrants in March,
five times more than just a year ago.
This as White HousePress Secretary Jen Psaki
again downplays the situation here.
The latest when askedabout the possibility
of terrorists sneaking into the country.
- Encounters of knownand suspected terrorists
are very uncommon.
- [Tara] As theadministration plays defense,
this new poll shows 40%of Americans disapprove
of Biden's response,while just 24% approve.
Detention facilities continue to overflow.
At this one in Donna, thenumbers reportedly expanded
six-fold in a matter of days.
- Every facility we havealong the southwest border
is over capacity right now.
- [Tara] Other critics like Raul Cruz
who live along the riverblamed President Biden
for rolling back Trumpimmigration policies
he insists were working.
- They're getting processedand then released.
That's not due to Border Patrol's fault,
they're out there doingtheir job, it's due to
that new Biden administration's policy,
100-day no deportation that's going on.
- We're told it takes aboutthree hours of paperwork
for every migrant that comes through.
As agents rush to quickly process it all,
record numbers are beingreleased without court dates
that would require them to face a judge.
In Washington, I'm TaraMergener, CBN News.
- Border Patrol agents captured now viral
heartbreaking footage of alittle boy abandoned recently
at the U.S./Mexico perimeter.
Speaking through tears, the little boy,
suspected to be between the ages of 10
and 12 years old, basicallysaid he'd been abandoned
by the group he was traveling with.
He told Univision he could end up stolen
and kidnapped and he was afraid.
Texas Border PatrolSector Chief Gloria Chavez
also told Univision all parents
considering sending theirchildren unaccompanied
to the border should reconsider
because it is very dangerous.
West Virginia DemocratSenator Joe Manchin says
there is no circumstancein which he would vote
to get rid of the filibuster.
Manchin made the statementin a "Washington Post" Op Ed.
It has been an ongoingdebate in the Senate
in recent days, somethingopponents of the idea says
goes against key elementsof how bills are handled
in the U.S. Senate.
Manchin also said he'd oppose using
the budget reconciliationprocess to bypass a filibuster
over President Biden'sinfrastructure spending bill.
President Biden wants everyone in America
who can get the COVID-19vaccine to get it.
His administration saysit will be available
to all later this month.
The timing of the move comeseven as the CDC now says
the more deadly and contagious UK variant
is the most common strainin the United States.
CBN's Abigail Robertson reports.
- While new variants ofCOVID-19 are rapidly spreading
across the country, thegood news is the vaccines
seem to be effective against them.
Still, President Biden warnswe're in a race against time.
- We're still in a life-and-deathrace against this virus.
- [Abigail] Biden hopeswe'll see a return to normal
by the 4th of July, butencourages Americans
to take precautions until then.
- Even moving at the recordspeed we're moving at,
we're not even halfway through vaccinating
over 300 million Americans.
This is gonna take time.
- [Abigail] 44% of newCOVID cases are coming
from just five states,New York, New Jersey,
Florida, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
- We're seeing the numbersgo up, and we're still seeing
that sick patient population coming in.
We can definitely feelthat there is an uptick
for the sick patient coming in.
- [Abigail] Michiganhealthcare workers say
they're concerned by the ages
of the patients being hospitalized.
- We're seeing a lot more younger adults,
middle adults being affected,getting sick and coming in.
- [Abigail] The CDC directorwarns daycare centers
and youth sports are leading to a rise
in cases amongst youth.
- 65,000 cases, that's65,000 opportunities
for mutations to occur, formore variants to spread.
- [Abigail] But Dr. Anthony Fauci says
there is good news on theefficacy of the vaccines.
- [Dr. Fauci] Antibodiesdelivered by vaccination persist
at least through six months and likely,
from the shape of thecurve, well beyond that.
- [Abigail] And he assures theAmericans the end will come.
- We'll know it when wesee it, it'll be obvious
as the numbers come downrather dramatically.
And when they do, we're gonna wind up
getting really stepwisemuch, much more towards
what we consider approachinga degree of normality,
which everyone really quitedramatically notices it.
It's on the way, hang in there.
- Dr. Fauci also saysthe federal government
will not require American citizens
to carry vaccine passports,although he foresees
some businesses implementingtheir own rules requiring them.
Reporting from Virginia,Abigail Robertson, CBN News.
- Police found a suspectafter an hour's long search
for the attacker in aRock Hill, South Carolina
mass shooting.
It happened Wednesday evening.
It left five people dead,including a well-known doctor,
his wife and their children
who were staying with them at the time.
The murders are still under investigation,
and police have notreleased much information
about the suspect or his motives.
President Joe Biden isset to unveil a series
of executive ordersaddressing gun violence.
One area he will addressis tighter regulations
requiring buyers of homemade guns
to undergo background checks.
He will also nominate DavidChipman to be the Director
of the Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Chipman is a formerfederal agent and advisor
to a gun control group.
Police have placed roadblocks and fencing
around Grace Life Churchin Edmonton, Alberta
in an effort to prevent worshipers
from accessing the building.
This is according tothe "Post Millennial."
Police law enforcement officers descended
upon the property early Wednesday morning.
Grace Life made headlinesearlier this year
after the church's pastorJames Coates was jailed
for holding in-person worship services
amid ongoing pandemic restrictions.
As CBN News has reported,after spending a month
behind bars for violating thegovernment's capacity mandates
Coates was released fromjail back on March 29th.
You can find this fullstory at CBNNews.com.
Strong words fromTaiwan's Foreign Minister,
who says the island will defend itself
"to the very last day" if attacked.
Some believe a Chineseinvasion of Taiwan is eminent.
Dale Hurd reports on what it could mean
for America and the world.
- China has ramped up military operations
in the Taiwan Straitsignificantly in recent days.
And there are fresh fears ofa Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
China views Taiwan as a renegade province
and could be tempted to make a move,
because according to some experts,
Beijing sees the Bidenadministration as weak.
But would China actuallyrisk war over Taiwan?
And then, what would America do?
While China talks tough andhas improved its military
by stealing technologyfrom the United States,
Chinese leaders are keenlyaware their military
has not fought a major war in 42 years.
And when it did in 1979, it lost,
in the view of some experts, to Vietnam.
But the Commander of theU.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet
warned the Senate Armed Services Committee
that taking over Taiwan remains China's
number one strategic priority.
- My opinion is thisproblem is much closer to us
than most think, and we haveto take this on with urgency.
- [Dale] With China'smilitary untested in combat
while America's has beenfighting in several nations,
some experts say thelast thing China wants is
a shooting war with the United States.
But China's true intentionsremain a mystery.
- I think it will be very, very dangerous
to assume that all of thisis just saber rattling.
China would certainly prefer to reunify
with Taiwan peacefully.
What the Chinese leadership has made clear
over the last 70 yearsis they are prepared
to use force, if it is necessary.
- [Dale] What mighthelp prevent an invasion
of Taiwan would be an actual agreement
with the United Statesto defend the island.
There is no defense pactbetween the United States
and Taiwan now, but something officials
call strategic ambiguity,which means China doesn't know
if the U.S. will defend the island or not.
It's a strategy that was condemned
during a recent online HouseSubcommittee hearing on Taiwan.
- Strategic ambiguity relative to Taiwan
and China is, in my opinion,absurd and dangerous.
We ought to be crystal clearthat if China attacks Taiwan,
we will be there with Taiwan.
- [Dale] Pentagon simulation show the U.S.
losing a war with China over Taiwan,
primarily because U.S. basesare so far from the island,
and China may have already decided
that now is the time to strike.
Dale Hurd, CBN News.
- [Efrem] Coming up, educatingPalestinian refugee children
and whether they are learningthe truth about Israel.
We'll explore this story next.
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- One of the ongoing problemsfor any new Israeli government
will be the continued hostilityfrom some Palestinians.
The United Nations group responsible
for overseeing the educationof Palestinian refugees
recently said it had removedviolent and anti-Israel content
from school textbooks.
CBN's Chris Mitchell takes acloser look at the resolution.
- [Chris] During 2020,Palestinian children,
like many others around the world,
couldn't go to school due to COVID-19.
During that time, UnitedNations Relief Works Agency,
or UNRWA, produced andprovided the students material
that went way beyond reading,writing, and arithmetic.
- We found that itcontains various violations
of UN values, of UNESCO standards,
and of UNWRA's own principles.
These were educationalmaterials which were distributed
to over 320,000 Palestinian children
across the West Bank and Gaza.
- [Dale] Marcus Sheff leadsa group that monitors peace
and cultural tolerance in schools.
It examined the materialsent to those children,
and what they found was not good.
- The idea that UNWRA, a UN organization,
is distributing materialswhich calls on students
to defend the motherland with blood,
or that glories terroristsand directs students
to terrorists like Dalal Mughrabi,
who is in their materials arole model for young girls,
somebody who murdered 38 people,
including 13 children, on a civilian bus.
- [Dale] This IMPACT Groupreport from January lays out
examples found throughout the curriculum.
In mathematics, students areasked to write the number
of martyrs in the first Intifada.
A language studies question asks students
to find the prepositionin a sentence like,
"Jihad is one of the doors to paradise."
And in social studies, whereZionist policy is blamed
for exhausting Palestiniannatural resources.
- [Marcus] It was writtenby UNWRA's teachers.
Now, UNWRA's teachers aresupposed to be trained
in UN values of peace and tolerance.
- [Dale] Following theJanuary IMPACT report,
UNWRA admitted to the problem
and assured governmentsit had been addressed.
A follow-up study by theIMPACT team, however,
shows that was not the case.
- [Marcus] Within these materials,
we also found hateful material,
material which young peopleanywhere should not be studying
and certainly not beingtaught by a UN organization.
So, you know, I think what we see here is
that UNWRA is absolutely partof the problem in relation
to the incitements ofyoung people in the region.
- [Dale] In one social studies exercise,
six graders are shown amap of the British mandate
called Palestine that does notinclude any Israel reference
and told, "Palestine isthe geographical area
which extends from theMediterranean Sea in the west
to the River Jordan in the East,
and from Lebanon and Syria in the north
to the Gulf of Aqabaand Egypt in the south.
Its location gave it strategic importance,
making it coveted by invadersand colonial powers."
And there's another problem.
- And that is if you'vedistributed printed materials
to 320,000 children, then you've found
that you had beendistributing hateful material,
how exactly did UNWRAget those materials back?
We have no answer to that.
- [Dale] Former PresidentTrump cut funding to UNWRA
because of this kind ofincitement in Palestinian schools.
President Biden has pledgedto resume humanitarian aid
to the Palestinians.
Sheff maintains the worldshould expect transparency
from any United Nationsbody, and until UNWRA
can prove otherwise itshould be understood,
the organization teaches hate.
Chris Mitchell, CBS News, Jerusalem.
- Today Israel marksHolocaust Remembrance Day
to mourn the six million Jewswho died in the Holocaust
at the hands of the Nazisbefore and during World War II.
A two-minute siren soundedthroughout the country
as Israelis stood in silenceto remember those lost
in the darkest chapter in thehistory of the Jewish people
as Israel faces the prospectof a modern conflict
with massive casualties, anuclear strike from Iran.
On Wednesday night at Yad Vashem,
Israel's Holocaust Memorial,Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu declaredIsrael would not be bound
by the Iranian nuclear deal.
- [Translator] Also, to ourbest friends I am saying
let there be no mistake,an agreement with Iran
that would pave her wayto a nuclear weapon,
a weapon that isthreatening our destruction,
an agreement like that willnot bind us in any way.
There is only one thing that binds us,
prevent those who strive to destroy us
to carry out this plot.
- The U.S. and Iran beginindirect talks in Vienna
to renew the Iraniannuclear agreement struck
by President Obama in2015 but ended in 2019
by President Donald Trump.
Still ahead, as Americalooks forward to life
after the pandemic, what the church
could be like in the future.
We'll explore, stay with us.
- When I came to Regent University,
it's like the world opened up.
I felt like I needed to advance my career
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Regent was a perfect fit for me.
The Regent professors are world class.
You are equipped.
The focus of the faculty ison each individual student,
whether it's online or in-person.
You become a part of Regent's family.
You carry with you not justthe content and the knowledge
but the confidence to understand
that we can be significant in the world.
- [Announcer] RegentUniversity, follow your path.
- [Woman] Nigerian Christiansare being slaughtered.
- [Man] Christians in Iranare routinely arrested.
- [Woman] Nepali Christianscontinue to suffer.
- [Announcer] In timesof trial and affliction,
you need to know the truth.
- One of the fastest growingChristian populations
in the world.
- [Announcer] Join WendyGriffith and George Thomas
for Christian World News.
- [Woman] Young peopleare the ones who are open
to the gospel.
- [Announcer] Powerfulstories of suffering and hope
that affect all Christians.
Saturday at 6:00 on the CBN News Channel.
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A free DVD or booklet
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Call 1-800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com
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- As the church emergesfrom this pandemic,
it will need to rethink the pros and cons
of online ministry and in-person ministry.
We spoke with one author and pastor
who sees a hybrid model going forward.
- And joining us now is Pastor Jay Kim,
lead pastor at West GateChurch in the Silicon Valley.
He is the author of "Analog Church,
Why We Need Real People, Places,
and Things in the Digital Age."
Pastor Kim, thank youso much for joining us.
- Thanks so much for having me.
- These, of course, are different times,
but I want to ask you first,you have been concerned
for a number of yearsabout digital ministry.
What kinds of digital ministry
have you been concerned about and why?
- Yeah, I mean just the proliferation
of digital technology in churches.
So just some very quickexamples might be the advent
of video teaching modelsand online services.
And concern is probably the right word.
I'm not actually positionedagainst any of those things.
I think there's a healthy and helpful way
to leverage digital technology.
I think my concern hasprimarily been born out of
maybe a sort of recklessness and a misuse
and possibly an overuse ofsome of these technologies
and the ways it'saffecting our ecclesiology,
how we understand what itmeans to be the church.
- And it's so interesting atthis particular point in time
because, of course, we arehopefully, God-willing,
emerging out of this pandemic,
but so many ministries havebeen forced to go online,
forced to go digital.
I know you've said, hey,this is what we need
for right now, but are youconcerned going forward,
and what are your hopes for the church
coming out of this time aswe have relied so heavily
on online ministry?
- Right, yeah, actuallymuch less than concern.
I'm actually quiteencouraged and very hopeful.
I think that if the pandemichas revealed anything to us
as just human beings, asembodied human beings,
it's revealed to us thatwhile digital technologies
are extremely helpful, they're lacking.
I think we can all relateto things like Zoom fatigue
or digital fatigue, and soI'm actually really hopeful
that in due time, as people sort of return
to in-person analog embodied presence,
and I know it'll take time, there are lots
of different elements atplay, but in due time,
I think, I'm hopeful, thatwe'll come out of this
with a new-found appreciation
for the in-person gathered experience.
And I think that's gonna bodewell for us as the church
moving forward into the future.
- Do you see a place forthe both, if you will,
for a hybrid model wherewe are taking the best
of digital ministry andcombining that with in-person,
what does that look like in your view?
- That's a great question, I do,
I do think that the future is hybrid,
meaning I don't think digitaltechnology is going away,
nor do I think it shouldgo away completely.
It has afforded us a lotin terms of convenience
and the opportunitiesto be able to connect
very quickly over great distancesand all of those things.
So when it comes to the hybrid future,
and I do think it will be a hybrid future,
I think that it's criticallyimportant that pastors
and church leaders create ahierarchy of the hybridity,
if you will, that weemphasize that for all,
for whom it is a possibility.
So all who are able to gather in person,
and I know that thatdoesn't apply to some.
There are those who need digital
for a variety of reasons,health reasons, and otherwise,
but for all who are able, I think we need
to communicate clearly that the in-person
embodied gathering is not an option.
It is hierarchically, it is atthe top of the priority list.
We do all that we can to gatherin person as much as we can.
And then digital is a sort of peripheral
supportive mechanism for those moments
and those instances when we can't.
- Well, it's interestingbecause I think all of us,
hopefully, do have that newfoundappreciation for in-person.
So it will be really interestingto see how the church goes
with all this coming out of the pandemic.
Pastor Kim, thank you for your time.
- You're welcome, thank you.
- [Announcer] Christiansaround the world are standing
with the Israelis, but why?
In CBN's free magazine,"Friends of Israel,"
you'll discover whyChristians are supporting
the Jewish state, how Israelis fulfilling prophecy
as a light to the nations,and ways you can pray
for the people of Israel.
Israel needs the supportof friends like you.
Call now or go to CBN.comto get your free copy
of "Friends of Israel."
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- Heavenly Father, we do thank you
for the work of your Spirit, Lord God,
with this movement ofgetting the Bible, Lord,
into public schools.
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- [Announcer] Watch The Prayer Link.
Tuesday morning at 7:30on the CBN News Channel.
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- Two of the stars of A&E'shit "Duck Dynasty" series
are back with a show of their own.
It's on social media.
It features Commander WillieRobertson and his wife Korie.
It debuted this week on Facebook.
Fans of the Robertsonswill immediately notice
Willie isn't sporting hisfamiliar bandana on his head.
And he also cut his hair.
The Robertsons say theyinvite guests on their show
to their home for a dayof Southern hospitality,
good conversations, and outdoor adventures
with good humor mixed in.
We leave you with this Thursday Thankful
and hope you will join usin this prayer of gratitude.
Father, thank you forthe gift of salvation
and the gift of intimacy.
I love that you love being close to me.
I choose now to make room for you.
With that prayer, let's all be sure
to make this a thankful Thursday.
That is gonna do it for thisedition of CBN Newswatch.
You can always find more of our programs
on the CBN News Channel.
You can find them there at any time.
You can also find themonline at CBNNews.com.
You can email us, newswatch@cbn.com.
We'd love to hear from you.
Thank you so much for watching.
Make it a thankful Thursday.
We'll see you back here tomorrow.
