Religious freedom is a radical invention that allows all Americans to believe or not believe as they choose, but on the condition that others are not harmed, said Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State….
Court again demands Trump’s slush fund be verified as dead
A federal court granted a preliminary injunction preventing the Trump administration from establishing a nearly $1.8 billion slush fund for the president’s political allies as a lawsuit against the account moves ahead. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia issued the…
Pastors announce formation of The Baptist Network
A group of Baptist pastors announced formation of The Baptist Network to foster collaboration and encouragement between minsters and congregations in a time of intense social and political conflict in the American church. “While affirming historic Baptist convictions, the Network…
US Supreme Court won’t allow Alabama to use nitrogen gas
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to overrule two lower courts that prohibited Alabama from executing a prisoner using nitrogen gas. The state was set to execute Jeffrey Lee June 11 until a federal appeals court and a U.S. district judge…
How anti-vaxxers and evangelicals found common cause
The COVID-19 outbreak helped unite the nation’s anti-vax movement, with evangelical Christians convinced that vaccine mandates, masking requirements and social distancing violated religious freedoms, religion scholar Kira Ganga Kieffer said. The two communities already shared a distrust of government when…
Republicans push through more unregulated funding for ICE and CBP
Immigrant and civil rights advocates condemned the $70 billion immigration bill President Donald Trump signed into law June 10. The “Secure America Act” passed by Congress a day earlier provides funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol…
Trump admin defying court order on immigration access
The Trump administration continues to deny legal benefits to some immigrants based on national origin and in direct violation of a federal judge’s June 5 ruling to halt the practice. In response, an emergency motion was filed June 10 asking…
Judge bans Alabama’s use of nitrogen gas for executions
A federal judge permanently blocked Alabama from putting inmate Jeffrey Lee to death with nitrogen gas two days before his June 11 execution date. District Judge Emily Marks in Montgomery ruled June 9 that nitrogen hypoxia executions violate the constitutional…
Worldwide, both Israel and Netanyahu are not liked
Most adults in three dozen countries harbor negative attitudes toward Israel, Including the United States, Canada and all of Europe, according to a new study by Pew Research Center. “Views are particularly negative in the Muslim-majority places surveyed, including Bangladesh,…
Lawsuit seeks to protect Stars and Stripes from Hegseth’s control
A lawsuit filed against the Pentagon seeks to reverse its takeover of Stars and Stripes, the news organization that provided independent news coverage for the U.S. military since 1861. Federal regulations governing the publication ensured its ability to provide “a…
LDS Church added back to Pentagon list after outcry
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth slashed the number of religious affiliations recognized by the Pentagon from more than 200 to 31 and set off a political firestorm in the process. The loudest reaction came when U.S. Sen. Mike Hill, R-Utah, and…
Court says Trump can’t block immigrants based on country of origin
The Trump administration must resume asylum processing and providing immigration benefits to immigrants regardless of national origin, a federal court ruled June 5. A coalition of labor unions and immigrant service groups sued U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in March…