Thursday, January 2, 2025
Plane flown into warehouse in Fullerton, California – causing four alarm fire
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January 02, 2025
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Police shut shutdown I-85 in Greenville, South Carolina due to a bomb threat involving 18-wheeler
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January 02, 2025
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He did it again! Biden checks his watch while slurring speech about New Orleans terrorist attack
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January 02, 2025
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Saturday, December 28, 2024
Guatemala ready to receive deported illegal aliens – they want to be part of the solution, not the problem
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December 28, 2024
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Mexico to open shelters for deported illegal aliens starting on inauguration day
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December 28, 2024
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Two Florida state Democrats flip to Republican (don’t trust them)
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December 28, 2024
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Democrats in Florida know their party is done… That’s why the rats are jumping ship as fast as they can… The latest is Hillary Cassel of Hollywood, Florida… The odd thing about this flip is that Hollywood is in Broward County, probably the biggest pool of Democrat communist voters the state still has left.. Yet Cassel flipped, giving Republicans an 87 to 33 majority in the state House… This is far more than needed for a super majority…
Cassel is now the second Democrat in weeks to flip to Republican. Yet any Democrat who flips to Republican because their party is in the toilet isn’t trustworthy… While the numbers are nice, people in Florida need to pay close attention to what these two “ex” Democrats do…
Friday, December 27, 2024
Brazil’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue is caught in a battle between church and state
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December 27, 2024
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Perched high atop Corcovado Mountain, Christ the Redeemer is more than a religious symbol or tourist attraction — it’s an enduring icon of Brazilian identity. The Cristo Redentor, as Brazilians call it, is a postcard not only for the city of Rio de Janeiro but for the entire country.
The statue’s wide-open arms, spanning 92 feet, seem to personally welcome the more than 4 million visitors who make the trek to see the monument each year. But now, its management and future are at the center of a growing debate over religion, conservation, and governance.
In October, a bill was introduced proposing transferring the management of the land where the statue sits from federal oversight to the Catholic Church. Proponents argue that the church’s stewardship will resolve longstanding infrastructure and accessibility issues. Critics, however, see the move as a threat to Brazil’s secular state and its environmental commitments.
A monument in the forest
Built in 1922 by the Catholic Church, the Christ the Redeemer statue is inside the Tijuca National Park, a sprawling 3,953-hectare expanse of restored Atlantic Forest recognized as one of the world’s first large-scale reforestation projects in 1861, more than a decade before Yellowstone’s founding.
Replanted to mitigate the effects of deforestation caused by coffee plantations, Brazil’s then-emperor established the national park to preserve ecologically significant ecosystems and provide a sanctuary for biodiversity. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012, and today is home to 1,619 plant species and 328 animal species, many of which are endangered.
The Christ Redeemer statue was originally envisioned as a symbol against a 'sea of godlessness.'
Related article
From religious propaganda to symbol of a nation: The story of Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue
“This park is far more than just a backdrop to the Redeemer,” says Mauro Pires, president of Brazil’s national parks and conservation units agency, ICMBio. “It’s a vital ecological system that sustains local wildlife and plays a role in regulating Rio’s climate and water supply.”
The park’s attractions include panoramic viewpoints of the city, Guanabara Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean, cascading waterfalls, and historic ruins. It is a magnet for tourists and locals alike, who come to hike, cycle, or take guided tours to drink up Rio’s natural beauty.
However, the balance between tourism and conservation is delicate, particularly in high-traffic areas like Corcovado.
An agreement between Church and State
The bill proposes carving out the Christ and surrounding area from the Tijuca National Park, making it a separate and independent portion to be administered by the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro. The Church being solely responsible for this area, it would have to take on any needed renovations, but it could also start collecting the revenue from ticket sales.
The current arrangement splits responsibilities between the church and the federal government. Despite being on federal land, the archdiocese has special authorization to worship at the statue and adjoining chapel any time, and is responsible for their maintenance, though not the infrastructure around it.
The federal government oversees the entirety of the park and its infrastructure – including roads, transportation, bathrooms, escalators, and ticketing to the statue. A portion of ticket sales and concessions is paid to the Church, and according to a park spokesperson, and in 2023 it amounted to $1.78 million.
Until now, the site has functioned as a religious destination within a secular site. Masses, baptisms, and weddings can be celebrated at the foot of the Christ, as long as the general public still have access to the park during visiting hours.
The Church and proponents of the bill, on the other hand, say more should be done to capitalize on the monument’s fame. “If a Brazilian brand wants to adopt our bathroom and renovate it and put their name all over it, why shouldn’t they be able to do it?” asked Claudine Milione Dutra, legal coordinator for the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro.
Dutra argues that federal bureaucracy is also getting in the way of addressing some of the needs for which the park is currently responsible. At the introduction of the bill in October, lawmakers described escalators, bathrooms, and water fountains that were out of order for months at a time.
“We cannot accept that Christ the Redeemer, Brazil’s most recognizable international icon, remains in a state of neglect,” said Senator Carlos Portinho, author of the bill, when he introduced it in the senate chambers. “The church has historically cared for the statue and is best positioned to manage it effectively.”
Pires, the president of the national parks agency, acknowledged that repairs are needed but said that privatization is not the answer. Under the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro, national parks budgets were slashed and only now are funds coming back, Pires said. Many of the necessary renovations, at Tijuca and other national parks, could not be carried out for that simple reason.
But for 2025, the agency has earmarked $12 million to carry out renovations at the top of Corcovado Mountain – including repairs to the foundation of the statue.
‘A dangerous precedent’
Under the proposed legislation, the Church would gain control over the statue and its immediate surrounding area, along with its infrastructure, and become separate from the National Park. Though that area would be less than 0.02% of the park’s total area, the national parks agency warns that the proposal could set a dangerous precedent.
“This isn’t just about the Redeemer; it’s about the integrity of all conservation areas in Brazil,” Pires explained. “Carving out sections of national parks for private management could undermine decades of progress in environmental protection.”
The park’s fragile ecosystem includes species such as the tufted capuchin monkey and the coati, a Brazilian ringtail. Tapirs and jaguars used to roam the park as well, but have since been extinct from the park. Increased noise, pollution, and construction could disrupt these habitats.
But Dutra dismisses these concerns, asserting that the church shares an interest in conservation. “We’ve maintained the statue and its immediate surroundings responsibly. Our aim is to enhance the visitor experience, not to harm the environment,” she said.
At its core, the debate isn’t just about land use or conservation. Brazil’s secular constitution prohibits government favoritism toward religious institutions, but Christ the Redeemer is pushing the discussion to a decidedly gray area, raising questions about how Brazil can balance its Catholic roots with its secular and environmental commitments.
The bill — co-sponsored by Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the former president’s son — has already passed in the Senate and is being weighed by a subcommittee on tourism. If approved there, it will move to Brazil’s House of Representatives.
The bill has already passed in the Senate and is being weighed by a subcommittee on tourism. If approved there, it will move to Brazil’s House of Representatives, who will decide if Christ the Redeemer’s future lies with the church or the state—or some reimagined collaboration.
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
King Charles praises those ‘who dedicate their lives to helping others’ in Christmas speech
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December 25, 2024
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King Charles III has used his Christmas message to hail the efforts of healthcare workers and all those who support others, praising the medical staff who provided “strength, care and comfort” during his and the Princess of Wales’ cancer treatments.
In his third Christmas address, the 76-year-old British sovereign spoke of how “all of us go through some form of suffering at some stage in our life, be it mental or physical.”
“The degree to which we help one another - and draw support from each other, be we people of faith or of none - is a measure of our civilization as nations,” he added, as footage showed the sovereign and his wife Queen Camilla visiting a cancer treatment center in London back in April as he returned to public-facing duties after his own diagnosis.
As the King spoke about the royal family meeting and listening to those who “dedicate their lives to helping others,” William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, were seen in a video from October talking with emergency responders who were called out to the fatal stabbings in Southport, northwest England, over the summer.
King Charles, whose message was filmed at a former hospital chapel in central London, said he was “thinking especially of the many thousands of professionals and volunteers here in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth who, with their skills and out of the goodness of their heart, care for others - often at some cost to themselves.”
Putin ‘inhumane,’ Zelensky says, as Russia pounds Ukrainian power grid on Christmas Day
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December 25, 2024
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It is the thirteenth time this year Russia has carried out a major attack on Ukraine’s power grid, according to DTEK, the country’s largest energy provider, leaving it in a precarious position while the war grinds into a third winter.
At least one person died in the attacks in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, while six others were injured in Kharkiv – less than 20 miles from the Russian border – Ukraine’s national police said, adding that residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged in the attack. At least seven missile strikes targeted the city, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Half a million households have been left without heating in the Kharkiv region in temperatures of 3 degrees Celsius (37 degrees Fahrenheit). Kyiv has imposed rolling blackouts to stabilize the grid, DTEK said.
Ukrainian forces meanwhile said Wednesday that they attacked a Russian command post overnight in Lgov in the Kursk region, where Kyiv launched a surprise offensive this year.
Four people were killed and five have been hospitalised, including one woman in a serious condition, according to local authorities in the Kursk region.
In Russia’s North Ossetia-Alania, the ministry of defence said an explosion and fire in a shopping center in Vladikavkaz was caused by falling debris from a drone shot down by air defence forces Wednesday morning which killed one person.
Attack comes after Xmas day switch
Prior to 2023, most Ukrainians celebrated Christmas on January 7 under the Julian church calendar, but last year Zelensky signed a law formally changing the date as a way of further distancing the country from the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church – and bringing it in line with much of the rest of Europe.
Ukraine created its own independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine in 2018, splitting from the Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). Since then, religious affiliation has increasingly been viewed as a symbol of national loyalty.
The holiday is now celebrated by Ukrainian Orthodox Christians on December 25, and Zelensky said Russia’s intentions were clear.
“Every massive Russian strike requires time for preparation. It is never a spontaneous decision. It is a deliberate choice – not only of targets but also of timing and date,” Zelensky said.
“Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane?”
Russia launched more than 70 missiles on Wednesday, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 attack drones targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, he said, adding more than 50 missiles were shot down along with a “significant” number of drones.
“Unfortunately, there are hits. As of now, there are blackouts in several regions,” he added.
DTEK said the attacks severely damaged equipment at its thermal power plants across the country.
“This year, it is the thirteenth massive attack on the Ukrainian energy sector and the tenth massive attack on the company’s energy facilities,” the company said, adding its thermal power plants have been shelled more than 200 times since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russia attacked “the energy sector again on a massive scale,” Ukraine’s energy minister German Halushchenko said on his Facebook page. Ukraine’s energy operator imposed emergency blackouts in several parts of the country, the minister added.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha said on X that a Russian missile passed Moldovan and Romanian airspace “reminding that Russia threatens not only Ukraine.”
Maia Sandu, president of the Republic of Moldova said on X: “While our countries celebrate Christmas, Kremlin chooses destruction – targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and violating Moldova’s airspace with a missile, actions that clearly violate international law. Moldova condemns these acts and stands in full solidarity with Ukraine.”
Romanian’s ministry of national defense said they could not confirm that Romanian airspace was crossed.
Poland scrambled fighter jets in response to a Russian missile threat in western Ukraine, according to the Polish Operational Command.
Wednesday’s attack follows a deadly Russian strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih on Christmas Eve. At least one person was killed and 17 others were injured after a Russian missile struck a residential building in the city – the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
