1. CBS – Pennsylvania State Police say the alleged ‘Facebook killer’ Steve Stephens has been found dead in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Authorities say Stephens shot and killed himself after a brief pursuit. Stephens is suspected of allegedly shooting an elderly man in Cleveland, Ohio, videotaping the killing and then posting that video on Facebook.
2. The Hill – The Trump Justice Department is dropping the federal lawsuit against North Carolina’s “bathroom law” after the state agreed to replace the controversial measure. Sandra Hairston, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina; and T.E. Wheeler, the acting assistant attorney general and head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, announced the decision in a filing seeking to dismiss the government’s lawsuit.
3. AP – Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli prisons launched a hunger strike Monday, in what their leader behind bars called a new step in the Palestinians’ “long walk to freedom.” Activists said more than 1,500 of about 6,500 Palestinians held by Israel as so-called security prisoners joined the open-ended protest and that it was the largest such strike in five years. The hunger strikers’ immediate demands included better conditions, including more contact with relatives, and an end to Israel’s practice of detentions without trial. In the West Bank and Gaza, thousands staged solidarity marches Monday to mark Prisoners’ Day in the Palestinian areas.
4. Black News – Debra Peek-Haynes, author and holistic health champion, returns to Detroit’s faith-based community May 6, 2017 with a message of wellness and quality living through nutrition. A leading advocate in her field, Peek-Haynes, author of The Healing Kitchen: The Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Living, has appeared in various national media, sharing her personal story to encourage audiences throughout the country. The American Diabetes Association recently named Peek-Haynes a national health ambassador. In an effort to take her message of wellness to churches, as part of her Heart2Heart Detroit touring series, Peek-Haynes has announced the “First Ladies Healthy Cooking Contest,” which will invite wives of pastors to compete in demonstrations that use healthy recipes.
5. CP – After a whirlwind week of venting about his ex-wife Naghmeh and religious leaders, persecuted Pastor Saaed Abedini made one last public defense of his reputation Sunday but ignored recent allegations of adultery. “After today I intend to enjoy Easter with my family, and start to rebuild my life. Those who believe will believe. Those who don’t never will. I don’t intend on spending any more time worrying about it. I do pray God’s blessings on them all, and on all of you as well,” he wrote in a much more coherent post than his previous rants against his alleged “abusers” on Facebook Sunday.
6. AP – Rescuers on Monday were digging through heaps of mud and trash that collapsed onto a clutch of homes near a garbage dump outside Sri Lanka’s capital, killing at least 30 people and possibly burying dozens more. Hundreds of people had been living in the working-class neighborhood on the fringe of the towering dump in Meetotamulla, a town near Colombo, when a huge mound collapsed Friday night during a celebration for the local new year, damaging at least 150 homes.
7. TIME – A portion of a westbound Atlanta interstate has closed after the road buckled on Monday. Lanes on I-20 West between Candler and Gresham roads in DeKalb County were closed indefinitely after part of the road buckled, likely because of an issue with an underground utility installation, the Georgia Department of Transportation said in a statement. Prior reports indicated that a gas leak caused the buckling, but a spokesperson for Southern Company said the incident did not involve the release of natural gas.
As you go throughout this day, keep this word in mind: 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “…be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.”
God loves you. He always has and He always will. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you don’t know Jesus as your Saviour, today is a good day to get to know Him. Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose from the dead for you. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart and He will. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Thanks so much for listening and may God bless your day!
BCNN1 WP 