More than 300 detainees at a Newark, N.J., immigration detention are continuing a hunger strike launched Memorial Day weekend to protest insufficient and spoiled food, lack of sanitation and bond denials, Human Rights Watch reported June 3. Federal officials, meanwhile,…
Webinar explores religious context of America’s Founders
Understanding the nation’s founding requires insight into the religious context in which the framers lived and worked, political scientist Mark Hall said during a webinar hosted by Religion News Service. “In the late 18th century, about 98% of Americans of…
Complacency is greatest threat to same-sex marriage, report warns
Complacency has become one of the biggest threats to marriage equality since the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the constitutionality of same-sex unions in 2015, according to a report by Interfaith Alliance. The landmark ruling in Obergfell v. Hodges held that…
Court will scrutinize Trump’s original $10 billion claim against IRS
A federal judge has reopened President Donald Trump’s $10 billion IRS lawsuit to determine if the action was a ruse to create a nearly $1.8 billion slush fund to secretly pay political allies. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in Miami…
Judge blocks Trump’s January 6 slush fund
A federal court has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from establishing, funding or using a nearly $1.8 billion slush fund designed to secretly compensate President Donald Trump’s political allies he says were victimized by Democrats. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in…
Most US Christians have heard clergy address controversial topics
Most people who attend religious services regularly have heard clergy speak on at least one social or political issue in recent months, according to a new survey by Pew Research. Abortion, homosexuality and Israel are the most commonly mentioned topics….
New poll finds Latino voters blaming Trump
Economic issues are the leading concern for Latino voters, and significant majorities of them disapprove of the job President Donald Trump is doing heading into the 2026 midterm election, according to a new survey by UnidosUS. The May 27 report…
Coalition says Trump admin allows lenders to discriminate
A coalition of consumer protection groups filed a federal lawsuit to stop implementation of a new rule that would dismantle decades of safeguards against discrimination in lending practices. The rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would weaken the…
SPLC asks court to dismiss Trump’s ‘farcical’ charges against it
Fraud charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center are part of a “farcical” and “retributive” White House campaign to silence political opposition, the civil rights group said in a motion to dismiss filed May 26. SPLC, which monitors and reports…
Democracy Forward files suit to stop Trump’s slush fund
Democracy Forward has filed a lawsuit on behalf of multiple plaintiffs seeking to block a nearly $1.8 billion slush fund President Donald Trump created to reimburse ideological allies who claim to be victims of politically motivated litigation and prosecutions. The…
Trump’s EEOC goes after another company that required vaccines
An Oklahoma company has agreed to settle a federal religious and disability discrimination lawsuit stemming from its firing of unvaccinated employees during the pandemic, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced. AG Equipment Co. in Broken Arrow will pay $4.2…
Catholics fight Trump’s attempt to seize their land for border wall
The Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces, N.M., is fighting the Trump administration’s attempt to seize a portion of its property to build a border wall. The federal government has its eye on a stretch along the southern base of Mount…