The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to limit the extent of lower court injunctions issued to protect birthright citizenship and other constitutional rights. The June 27 decision in President of the United States v. CASA bars district court judges from…
‘Great white Christian freakout’ shifted America, Jones says
The U.S. was just beginning to come to terms with the effects of racial injustice when the “great white Christian freakout” ushered in the era of Donald Trump and empowered religious nationalism, said Robert P. Jones, president of Public Religion…
High court allows exclusion of Planned Parenthood as Medicaid provider
A South Carolina woman does not have the right to sue the state over its exclusion of Planned Parenthood as a Medicaid provider, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 26. Writing for the conservative majority in a 6-3 decision, Justice…
Courage and dignity needed in fight for equality, Raushenbush says
The church must demonstrate courage, demand dignity and fight for equality as attacks against religious freedom and LGBTQ people spread throughout the nation, Interfaith Alliance President Paul Raushenbush said. “The root of the word ‘courage’ is ‘cor,’ or heart,” he…
Supreme Court clears way for third-country deportations
The Trump administration may deport undocumented immigrants to countries other than their own, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 23. The unsigned order reverses a lower court ruling granting unauthorized noncitizens an opportunity to demonstrate the risk of persecution, torture…
Abbott signs Texas Ten Commandments bill, setting up court fight
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed legislation mandating Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms beginning Sept. 1 despite the threat of litigation from civil liberties groups. Abbott’s office said the governor signed the measure June 21 along with more…
Even Trump supporters are weary with his ‘disappearing’ immigrants
Americans who originally backed President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign are having a change of heart due to protests, military involvement and the targeting of immigrants without criminal histories, migrant advocates and new polling suggest. “It seems the deportation operations…
Appeals court stops Louisiana Ten Commandments law
A Louisiana law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms was ruled unconstitutional by a unanimous federal appeals court June 20. “Parents and students challenge a statute requiring public schools to permanently display the Ten Commandments in every classroom…
Supreme Court ruling on transgender care called partisan and flawed
The U.S. Supreme Court abandoned science, fairness and common sense in its June 18 decision upholding a state’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, civil rights and legal experts said. The 6-3 ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti found Tennessee’s…
Republican budget would tax remittances to families abroad
Foreign nationals working in the U.S. will have to pay a 5% excise tax on money they send family in other countries if Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” becomes law. Known as remittance transfers, the transactions are a crucial way…
Most books banned from Naval Academy are back on shelves
Nearly all the 381 books pulled from the U.S. Naval Academy Library in April are back on the shelves after the Pentagon instituted its own criteria for banning books. “I am thrilled to report that, as a result of the…
‘Big beautiful bill’ is ugly, BJC webinar shows
President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” is downright ugly when it comes to education, health care and hunger, social justice advocates said during a webinar hosted by Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. The gigantic budget measure now before the…