He will stand tall in his shepherd-rule by God’s strength, centered in the majesty of God-Revealed. And the people will have a good and safe home, for the whole world will hold him in respect— Peacemaker of the world! - Micah 2:4 MSG
Donald Trump has demanded that the three frontrunners to lead the Senate allow him to appoint officials to his new administration without confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill, as a future Republican government began to take shape the week after his election victory. In a demonstration of his political muscle, the US president-elect urged support for “recess appointments”, which allow the president to make appointments while the Senate is temporarily paused, and can be used to circumvent the confirmation process, which can result in appointments being delayed or blocked. The demand amounted to a full-frontal intervention in this week’s GOP’s election for a new Senate leader to replace Mitch McConnell, the party’s longtime leader who is retiring. The three men tipped to lead the Senate – Rick Scott, John Thune and John Cornyn – all quickly agreed to Trump’s request. It also signaled Trump’s determination to press ahead with his agenda without being encumbered by congressional oversight, which is mandated by the US constitution. Recess appointments are controversial. A 2014 US supreme court verdict ruled that Barack Obama had exceeded his constitutional authority when he made high-level appointments after declaring the Senate to be in recess – though the ruling still gave presidents wide latitude to use a clause in the US constitution to make appointments during recess.
We are but hours after the election, and already the guardrails of our democracy are being tested. Lord God almighty, we pray for democratic institutions that protect the rights of your beloved be upheld by those appointed to protect them.
Businesses in the private sector must stump up cash for the developing world to invest in a low-carbon economy or face the consequences of climate breakdown, the president of the UN climate summit has said. Mukhtar Babayev, the environment minister of Azerbaijan, the host of this year’s climate conference, wrote in Monday’s Guardian: “The onus cannot fall entirely on government purses. Unleashing private finance for developing countries’ transition has long been an ambition of climate talks. “Without the private sector, there is no climate solution. The world needs more funds and it needs them faster. History shows we can mobilise the resources required; it’s now a matter of political will.” His words come as scores of heads of state and high-ranking officials from nearly 200 countries gathered in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, for the UN Cop29 climate summit, which opened on Monday. The meeting has been overshadowed by the re-election of Donald Trump, who has vowed to remove the US from the Paris climate agreement and scrap commitments to cut carbon emissions. Scientists have said the world is likely to exceed key temperature limits as a result. At Cop29, countries will try to forge a new global framework for providing the funds that developing nations need to cut their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of worsening extreme weather. Poor countries want climate finance to ramp up from about $100bn a year today to at least $1tn every year by 2035.
After news weeks ago that we might be on path for a world 3.1 degrees of warming, the outlook is bleak. Ordinary platitudes and prayers for “good work” are no longer sufficient, because business as usual is ecocide for the planet and its people. We need a revolution of values, a turning of the tables, and something new to come forth.
Locked-out workers at ports in British Columbia were joined on the picket lines by their peers in Montreal on Sunday night, stymying trade at Canada’s two largest marine trading hubs heading into the busy holiday shopping season. While experts tell Global News that consumers will hopefully avoid a Christmas crunch, they also warn that the latest kinks in the Canadian supply chain could affect hopes for an economic rebound. “This has been a constant drumbeat of disruptions in the logistics and transportation sector over the last year, year and a half,” says Fraser Johnson, professor of operations management at Western University’s Ivey Business School. “It’s been a constant problem and a lot of headaches for Canadian companies.” The labour dispute shutting down cargo container traffic at British Columbia’s ports for a week now has shown little signs of moving towards resolution, with the parties breaking off talks on Saturday. The next day, dock workers in Montreal voted to reject their employers’ latest offer, leading to another lockout starting Sunday evening. Johnson tells Global News the ports in B.C. represent roughly 45 per cent of inbound marine shipments to Canada, with the Port of Montreal handling 10 percent. In other words, more than half of all goods coming into Canada by sea are currently disrupted by the twin shutdowns.
God of good and meaningful labor, we pray for working conditions that honours the lives of the labourers undertaking those positions. We pray for a resolution to these shutdowns that delivers for Canadian workers and consumers.
On December 5 at 8pm EST, join Thrive and Exodus World Service for an informational webinar as we explain the new refugee resettlement opportunity for U.S churches called the Welcome Corps Program. We will break down the process and discuss how Exodus World Service is equipped to guide CRC churches and individuals interested in engaging in this faithful missional work of welcome. We will also cover all the steps to get started and answer any questions or concerns that you may have. Register today!
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