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…
Thomas Paine helped start America. In the Trump era, he’s under fire.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., was revving up a crowd of tens of thousands gathered in Philadelphia for the first major No Kings protest last June. His speech, like the demonstration itself, was focused primarily on pushback against President Donald Trump,…
Republican leaders won’t denounce Islamophobia
Republican fearmongering about Muslims and Sharia Law is generating plenty of pushback from Democrats and civil rights groups across the country, but next to nothing from GOP leaders in Congress. Islamophobic rhetoric is on the rise as conservative members of…
Republican fears about Sharia law called a ‘hoax’
Proclaiming the dangers of Sharia law has become all the rage among Republicans over the past few months, while opponents denounce the movement as an effort to stoke fear of Muslims among conservative voters heading into the 2026 election. Republican…
Trump plans to slash refugee admissions and only let in whites
President Donald Trump is expected to cut refugee admissions into the United States to 7,500 next year — a new low for the U.S. and half the previous record-setting low cap set during his first presidency. The administration also is…
Take heart and speak out, Raskin urges democracy advocates
Americans opposed to the Trump administration’s attacks against religious institutions and its attempts to radically reshape the federal government must take heart and speak out now, said U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. Catholic and Lutheran relief groups have been denied…
Show up and speak up to save democracy, panelists urge
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he is struggling to fully comprehend the Trump administration’s overwhelming assault on basic freedoms as well as its ongoing attempt to dismantle federal programs and agencies. Calling the situation a “crisis” would be an…
Nonprofit leaders lament House passage of ‘unconstitutional’ bill
The nation inched a step closer to autocratic rule with the passage of a bill allowing federal authorities to shut down nonprofit groups simply by claiming they support terrorism, critics of the bill said. On Nov. 21, the U.S. House…
Opposing book bans is a spiritual act, interfaith group says
People of faith must stand up against the proliferation of book-banning campaigns or face the inevitable erosion of religious liberties, according to library and reading advocate Tracie Hall. “This is a moment we cannot take lying down. We cannot have…
Amanda Tyler testifies before Congress against Christian nationalism
For an ever-so-brief moment Dec. 13, a congressional hearing on the rise of anti-democratic extremism morphed into a Sunday school lesson as Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, fielded questions on the history of Baptists…
Does landmark religious freedom legislation need a fix or is it fine as is?
Does the landmark Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 need a legislative fix? Some Democratic Congressmen and religious freedom advocates believe so, which has prompted a renewed attempt to resolve problems they believe have been created by conservative court rulings…