NationBuilder

1. SHAPIRO: Biden's back to school message

The message: the federal government is going to use the full weight of the government to enforce and advance transgender rights.

"Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the the Civil Rights Division, Department of Education Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Suzanne Goldberg, and Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine issue a joint back to school message for transgender youth."

2. SHAPIRO: Biden chooses decline

"In November 2009, the late Charles Krauthammer gave a seminal speech, titled “Decline Is a Choice.” In it, Krauthammer stated, “The question of
whether America is in decline cannot be answered yes or no. There is no yes or no … Nothing is inevitable. Nothing is written. For America today, decline is not a condition. Decline is a choice.”

This week, President Joe Biden chose decline.

That choice was not inevitable. It was foolhardy in the extreme, a symptom of Biden’s commitment to his own idiotic ideology — an ideology that crashed headlong into the steel wall of reality in Afghanistan. Former Presidents Obama and Trump both wanted to remove the United States from Afghanistan, but both recognized the reality on the ground: that removing all American support from the Afghan military would result in the Taliban — the terrorist regime responsible for providing aid and support to Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaida in the run-up to and aftermath of 9/11 — taking over the country.”

3. POLITICO: How the Apple lobbying machine took on Georgia, and won

"When Apple wanted to kill off two bills in Georgia this year, it rushed lobbyists to the state legislature, threatened to abandon key economic projects and persuaded the state attorney general to push for an Apple-friendly amendment.

Two months later, the bill that had appeared to have the most momentum stalled in the Georgia House Judiciary Committee. The committee chair did not bring the legislation to a vote during this year’s legislative session, effectively killing it in the lower chamber.”

4. NORTH STATE JOURNAL: Orange County School Board votes down vaccine requirement to participate in sports, clubs

"The Orange County School Board voted to approve a dramatic tightening of their COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines and Expectations at a special meeting on Aug. 16. The exception was the most controversial item, which would put in place that “All students, coaches, and employees who directly support athletics, cheerleading, club sports, chorus, marching band, or theater who are eligible for a vaccine must be vaccinated in order to remain eligible to participate effective September 7, 2021.”

Instead, the board replaced this item, known as item B6, with an additional day of testing for those in athletics or other after-school extracurricular activities."

4. CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: Mecklenburg revises start of mask mandate as more towns now order masks indoors

"More Mecklenburg County residents are now required to wear face masks in indoor public settings, accelerating a new wave of local COVID-19 restrictions prompted by the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.

A mask mandate took effect immediately in Davidson on Thursday evening, following a unanimous vote from the Davidson Board of Commissioners, the town announced.

The news comes even as a pending countywide mask mandate was postponed by three days, due to legal notice requirements, Mecklenburg officials said Friday morning. That mandate now starts Aug. 31.

In Matthews, a mask mandate will start at 5 p.m. Friday, following a vote from the Matthews Board of Commissioners, town spokeswoman Maureen Keith said.”

Also check out this ABC 11 article about five more towns in Wake County reinstating mask mandates.

LORD, you have blessed us with a spiritual liberty that is so wonderful and beyond description, that it can only be understood through experiencing a life-giving relationship with Christ. However, we also recognize that in your grace, you have blessed our country with a political liberty that enables us to openly proclaim the experience of a life lived in the freedom of the Gospel.

LORD, as individuals and as a nation, may we never take the inalienable right of religious freedom for granted. Right now our country has faced a rapid increase in the number of attacks made against this cherished right. We have seen groups across our public arena increase in boldness and frequency their smears against religious liberty. They claim it is bigotry, when we know it is the security of the greatest of all possible loves.

Be with your people and our country as it continues to protect the constitutional right protected by our nation's Founders. Be with legislators and the Supreme Court, as they determine through their actions the protection of this particular and fundamental freedom.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)

"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Galatians 5:13)

"Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God." (1 Peter 2:16)

Amen

1. SHAPIRO: Biden's back to school message

2. SHAPIRO: Biden chooses decline

3. POLITICO: How the Apple lobbying machine took on Georgia, and won

4. NORTH STATE JOURNAL: Orange County School Board votes down vaccine requirement to participate in sports, clubs

4. CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: Mecklenburg revises start of mask mandate as more towns now order masks indoors

WEEKLY PRAYER: LIBERTY