Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

The employment numbers for May were excellent. The seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 3.8 percent matches April 2000 as the lowest since 1969. Average hourly earnings were up and employers have added workers for 92 months straight–the longest continuous jobs expansion ever. Also noteworthy:

• Underemployment dropped to 7.6 percent
• Average workweek is up to 34.5 hours
• Jobless rate for women is 3.6 percent, the lowest since 1953
• Jobless rate for minorities is near record lows
• Black unemployment is at a new record low, it fell from 6.6 in April to 5.9 percent in May

Why this Matters: There is still a ways to go. Participation in the labor force is still near the smallest percent since the 1970s.

Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, said the good employment numbers didn’t matter to “families hit with soaring new costs.” The Democrats are fighting any shred of good news as the midterm elections draw closer. Their lead in generic polling has slipped dramatically, and their “blue wave” at the polls in November may be a drought instead.

This is a tweet from Franklin Graham:

17 states have primaries in June–CA has theirs this week. There’s so much at stake. I hope pastors will encourage their congregations to let the Christian voice be heard in every election. Let’s be salt & light as Jesus commanded & make a difference for our kids & grandkids!

How to Pray: God, let it be so! May conservative principles be the winner in November: pro-family, pro-life, and pro- religious freedom.

DC Swamp is Shrinking, Bad Employees Easier to Fire

The federal government now employs 24,000 fewer people than in 2016.

President Trump signed new executive orders making it easier to fire bad federal employees and limiting the time they may devote to union organizing during work hours. His order also limited the time unions may take to negotiate contracts.

State government has grown, however. May numbers show that state government employment rose by 2,000, and local government grew by 6,000 jobs.

Why this Matters: Detractors are calling this downsizing at the federal level an assault on women and minorities. It’s interesting to note that 95 percent of donations made by federal employees went to the Clinton campaign in 2016.

Media bias is at record levels. A Harvard study found that 70-93 percent of coverage of the President’s first 100 days was negative, with the outlier being Fox News, which had a 52 percent negative towards Trump. It doesn’t end there. Trump appointees installed in slots through government agencies since the inauguration find it a hostile, uncooperative environment. The President has fewer appointees confirmed than any other president at this point of the first term.

Hillary Clinton recently expressed her hope that the number of federal employees will return to previous high levels. During her book tour she advised federal workers to “stick it out” because “the tide has to turn.”

Pray for the swamp to continue draining and employees with good attitudes and aptitudes will succeed and push the President’s conservative agenda items forward.

Trump Pardons Dinesh D’Souza

Late last week, President Trump pardoned Dinesh D’Souza, an outspoken conservative, movie-maker, author, and scholar. D’Souza was convicted and imprisoned for making illegal campaign contributions in 2014. He donated $20,000 to New York politician Wendy Long and allegedly went over the contribution limit by directing others to donate.

In 2012 D’Souza made a documentary called “2016: Obama’s America,” exposing the influences on the President and what may have shaped his ideology.

Trump also pardoned boxer Jack Johnson, posthumously. Johnson was the first black heavyweight champion, convicted for violating a law that made it illegal to transport a white woman across state lines for prostitution, debauchery, or any other immoral purpose. Johnson was the victim of Jim-Crow era laws and other blatant racism.

Legislation to pardon Johnson has been brought forward several times, but has failed.

Why this Matters: Dinesh D’Souza emigrated from India and legally became a U.S. citizen. He did far less than comedian Rosie O’Donnell, who made five contributions to Democrats that exceeded legal limits.

President Trump has been labeled a racist and hater of immigrants. Sadly, the Left continues to promote their tired lies even when the news of Trump’s actions displaying the opposite make the headlines.

Pro-Life News from Arkansas

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court declined to hear arguments challenging an Arkansas law restricting abortions. This means the prohibition of the “abortion pill” will stand.

By law in Arkansas, a doctor must partner with an abortion clinic for the dispensing of an abortion pill. Arkansas Planned Parenthood says they have not found a doctor who will do so and wanted the Court to reinstate a lower court order blocking the law. The same type of law in Texas was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2016.

Why this Matters: Planned Parenthood in Arkansas began canceling some abortion pill appointments last week because of the Supreme Court’s decision. However, surgical abortions are still legal and being performed.

Pray for a change on the Supreme Court, that two or more liberal justices will leave and Trump can replace them with pro-life justices. Pray the Court will overturn Roe v. Wade.

Spygate: Where Things Stand

Keeping up with the Russia-Collusion investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller is almost a full-time job. The probe itself has wearied us for 18 months and cost taxpayers nearly $17 million. It is increasingly becoming evident that the way the probe was handled is the real source of collusion and corruption. So far, no evidence has been presented that shows the President has done anything wrong, or that his team colluded with Russia.

The FBI and Department of Justice are looking like the real culprits, planting informants/spies in the Trump campaign, starting the investigation without legal footing, using Clinton cronies to entrap Trump aides, and conjuring up a phony dossier (paid for by Clinton and the Democratic National Committee) in order to trick judges into granting surveillance warrants to spy on foreigners, but actually using them against Americans.

Perhaps the most egregious of all is what was reported last week: The Obama White House “ran” the investigation, and at one point took it over from the FBI. Peter Strzok, top agent running the probe, received a message from his girlfriend, DoJ lawyer Lisa Page, they didn’t have to worry, there was a paper trail to show that the FBI is still in charge.

Here is a summary of the latest revelations:

• The FBI hired foreigners to contact aides and advisors to Donald Trump and provide them with false information, specifically that Russia has thousands of Hillary Clinton’s emails.
• The FBI had former Australian ambassador Alexander Downer contact Trump’s people, then notified the FBI of the details of that contact–even though protocols dictate that all such information be run through official State Department channels. Downer is a friend of Hillary Clinton and was responsible for the Australian government giving the Clinton Foundation $25 million.
• The FBI opened the investigation into Trump in May 2016, months before an official counterintelligence investigation was begun July 31, 2016. FBI rules prohibit spying on an American before a formal investigation has been opened.
• The final revelation of the week was the leak of a 20-page letter the Trump legal team sent to Mueller in January. The letter argues that Trump cannot be indicted, subpoenaed, or be guilty of obstruction of justice. As president, he is chief law enforcement officer of the U.S.

Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said in an interview that a president has the ability to pardon anyone he chooses, even himself. He added that Trump would not want to do that.

Why this Matters: The House Intelligence Committee that has been investigating this matter and the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email scandal has repeatedly requested documents related to the probes. They’re still waiting.

Pray for all of the details to be uncovered, for the investigation to be over, and for innocent and guilty to be exposed.

Psalm 68:1-2 – Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.