Podcasts about alliance defending freedom adf

Planned Parenthood is now boasting about being the second-largest provider of so-called ‘gender-affirming' hormone care in the U.S.? And they're doing it to teenagers after just 30-minute consultations. Today I sit down with Kristin Waggoner--President of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)--who has successfully argued three courts at the Supreme Court. Join us for this discussion about the future of Planned Parenthood and their for-profit killing empire.Join our new exclusive Rose Report community!https://rosereport.supercast.comFollow Lila on Social: https://x.com/LilaGraceRosehttps://instagram.com/lilaroseofficialCheck out our Sponsors:-EveryLife: https://www.everylife.com Buy diapers from an amazing pro-life diaper company and use code LILA and get 10% off!-Crowd Health: https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ The new alternative to health insurance - sign up and use the code "LILA" for a special deal of $99 for your first 3 months!-Seven Weeks Coffee: https://www.sevenweekscoffee.com Buy your pro-life coffee with code LILA and get up to 25% off!00:00 - Intro05:26 - Welcome, Kristen Waggoner06:49 - Seven Weeks Coffee15:58 - EveryLife.com20:42 - NYT Article23:37 - CrowdHealth24:36 - Free Beacon Article32:30 - What's the bottom line?

Ryan Bangert from Alliance Defending Freedom addresses the growing trend of censorship and its threat to free speech and truth. Highlighting cases worldwide and in the U.S., Ryan discusses how individuals face penalties for expressing beliefs on topics like gender, religion, and politics, often under government pressure. He emphasizes that free speech is fundamental to human dignity, truth, and divine purpose, urging resistance to censorship and false ideologies. Listen in as Ryan calls for safeguarding free speech as essential not only to personal freedoms, but also to preserving space for the Gospel and truth for future generations. Resources Check out more from Ryan Bangert and his work with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Create a free THINQ Account and download the THINQ Media app on your smart TV to access more trusted content like this on topics from all channels of culture at thinqmedia.com. Apply the THINQ Framework as you think through cultural topics. Attend THINQ events where you can gather with like-minded leaders, ask better questions and have conversations that lead to wisdom: Participate in Let's Talk Tech Detox.  Bring the 28-Day Digital Fast to your family, workplace, or church. Sign up for THINQ Summit 2025 October 2-4 in Nashville, TN. More from the THINQ Podcast Network: Rhythms for Life with Rebekah and Gabe Lyons The InFormed Parent with Suzanne Phillips NextUp with Grant Skeldon NeuroFaith with Curt Thompson UnderCurrent with Gabe Lyons

What would you do if you were told by your boss to use gender-preferred pronouns in the work place forcing you to violate your conscience, and if you refused to do so, you would lose your job? Or what would you do if you were a pro-life nurse and were forced to give abortion-inducing drugs to a patient? These issues aren't theoretical, but are issues facing Kentuckians. To help us understand and think through how to respond legislatively is Greg Chafuen of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). If you would like to interview Richard Nelson, Executive Director of the Commonwealth Policy Center, please email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠richard@commonwealthpolicy.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Like and Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/commonwealthpolicy Follow us on X: @CPC4Kentucky Follow us on YouTube: @commonwealthpolicycenter E-Newsletter: https://www.commonwealthpolicycenter.org/mailing-list/

Como o direito e a religião impactam a teologia e a vida cristã? A promoção da justiça em um mundo caído é possível. Neste podcast, mostraremos como o cristianismo, os direitos cristãos e os direitos religiosos foram benéficos para a construção da sociedade e continuam sendo para a preservação dela.O TEOmídia Cast é um podcast que também pode ser assistido no serviço de streaming TEOmídia. A cada semana, convidados especiais falam sobre teologia, vida cristã e fé, para a glória de Deus. Para assistir na íntegra acesse TEOmídia.com.Confira também nossas novidades no link da bio, em @‌teomidia, para edificar-se todos os dias!https://www.youtube.com/direitoreligiosohttps://www.ibdr.org.brDr. Thiago Rafael Vieira é mestre e doutorando em Direito Político e Econômico pela Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie/SP, especialista em Direito do Estado pela UFRGS, em Estado Constitucional e Liberdade Religiosa pela Universidade Mackenzie, com estudos complementares pela Universidade de Oxford (Regent's Park College) e pela Universidade de Coimbra (Ius Gentium Conimbrigae), além de ser especialista em Teologia e Bíblia pela ULBRA. É presidente do Instituto Brasileiro de Direito e Religião (IBDR), coordenador e professor da pós-graduação em Direito Religioso na Universidade Evangélica de Goiás, subcoordenador do curso Derecho y Religión na Universidade Autônoma de Madri, e membro da Comissão Especial de Liberdade Religiosa da OAB Federal. Advogado com atuação em mais de 4 mil igrejas no Brasil, também integra o grupo de pesquisa do CNPq “Cidadania, Constituição e Estado Democrático de Direito”. Autor de obras como Direito Religioso: questões práticas e teóricas (4ª edição, Vida Nova) e Liberdade Religiosa: fundamentos teóricos para proteção e exercício da crença (Almedina), é cronista da Gazeta do Povo e articulista em diversos veículos. Professor na Brasil Paralelo, palestrante internacional, alumni do Acton Institute e advogado associado à Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), atua ainda como professor voluntário de História da Igreja Cristã na Igreja Batista Filadélfia e professor visitante em seminários teológicos, plataformas de cursos livres e programas de pós-graduação em Direito Religioso.Dr. Jean Marques Regina é mestrando em Direito Político e Econômico pela Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie/SP, especialista em Estado Constitucional e Liberdade Religiosa pela Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, com estudos complementares pela Universidade de Coimbra e pela Universidade de Oxford, além de ser especialista em Teologia e Bíblia pela ULBRA. Advogado com ampla atuação em Direito Religioso, atende a mais de 3 mil igrejas em todo o Brasil. É 1º Vice-Presidente do Instituto Brasileiro de Direito e Religião (IBDR), conselheiro brasileiro do Acton Institute (EUA) e advogado aliado da Alliance Defending Freedom (EUA), a maior entidade de advogados cristãos do mundo. Além disso, é colunista da Gazeta do Povo, Gospel Prime, Voltemos ao Evangelho, Mensageiro Luterano e outros veículos.Este podcast a serviço de Cristo foi apresentado pelo pastor Fernando Hamilton Costa.

Matt Sharp, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, joins The Narrative to discuss the US vs. Skrmetti case, which will decide whether Tennessee's SAFE Act can be upheld to protect children from dangerous, experimental gender surgeries and wrong-sex hormones. Listen in to get the scoop on this week's oral arguments at the US Supreme Court and the effects the case will have across the nation, regardless of the court's final decision.  CCV Communications Director Mike Andrews and Policy Director David Mahan tee up the conversation with updates on how the Lame Duck session at the Statehouse is unfolding and how Ohio's newest cash program for single mothers does more to promote political fundraising than parenthood. Want your questions answered? If you have any questions about past episodes, news in the media, or general inquiries, submit them to TheNarrative@ccv.org by Wednesday, December 11, for a chance to be featured in an upcoming episode! More about Matt Sharp Matt Sharp is senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and directs ADF's Center for Legislative Advocacy. He works to advance religious freedom for students who desire to share their faith, and those who fight for privacy against schools requiring students to share bathrooms and locker rooms with students of the opposite sex. He has testified before state legislatures on religious liberty and physical privacy issues. Sharp authored the amicus brief in Gloucester County School Board v. G.G. on behalf of students, parents and community members. He has won cases allowing students to invite a classmate to church, preform religious songs at a school talent show and form religious clubs. Sharp earned his J.D. in 2006 from the Vanderbilt University School of Law. A member of the bar in Georgia and Tennessee, he is also admitted to practice in several federal courts. To follow more of his work, check him out on X, @MattSharpADF.

In this episode, Karol speaks with Kristen Waggoner, President, CEO, and General Counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). They discuss Kristen's journey to ADF, the evolution of gender identity issues, the impact on women's sports, parental rights, and global censorship. Kristen emphasizes the importance of truth in the current societal landscape and the need for parents to engage in conversations about these critical issues with their children. The Karol Markowicz Show is part of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network - new episodes debut every Wednesday & Friday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I am joined by Jeremy Tedesco, Senior Counsel & Senior Vice President of Corporate Engagement for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Don't miss this conversation on censorship, free speech and the value of having open dialogue.

In this episode, I am joined by Jeremy Tedesco, Senior Counsel & Senior Vice President of Corporate Engagement for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Don't miss this conversation on censorship, free speech and the value of having open dialogue.

Greg Davis is onsite for the Title IX Town Hall in Huntsville. Before the program starts, he talks with Emily Jones of Moms for Liberty, Sheila Banister of Love Your School, Sara Beth Nolan of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), and State Rep. Scott Stadthagen.

In this episode, Riley interviews Christiana Kieffer, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), about the recent Supreme Court win surrounding Title IX and the harmful rewrite by the Biden-Harris administration. They discuss the landmark case in Connecticut where two male athletes dominated girls' track and field, depriving female athletes of opportunities. They also touch on the importance of parental rights and the challenges faced in defending women's sports and fair competition. The conversation highlights the need for clear sex-based language and the impact of gender ideology on society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode of Retire in Texas, Darryl Lyons, CEO and co-founder of PAX Financial Group, dives into the significant work of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) in safeguarding religious freedoms across various spheres. Highlighting notable cases and personal stories, Darryl illustrates the challenges and triumphs of defending deeply held convictions in today's socio-political climate. Key highlights include: *The case of Jack Phillips and the legal battles faced by the Masterpiece Cakeshop owner. *ADF's role in ensuring medical professionals' rights are protected against mandates that violate their beliefs. *The impact of ADF's work on pregnancy care centers and their fight against censorship and vandalism. *Real-life examples of parental rights being defended in school settings and the broader implications for families. *Insights into how ADF supports individuals and organizations facing discrimination based on their religious beliefs. Tune in to this week's episode to gain a deeper understanding of the vital role of Alliance Defending Freedom in protecting free speech and religious liberties. If you enjoyed today's episode, please leave a comment and share the show with a friend! Disclaimer: Clicking the Like button does not constitute a testimonial for, recommendation or endorsement of our advisory firm, any associated person, or our services. Clicking the Like button is merely a mechanism to circulate our social media page. “Like” is not meant in the traditional sense. In addition, postings must refrain from recommending us or providing testimonials for our firm.

In November 2022, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division, against the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on behalf of the Alliance of Hippocratic Medicine (AHM) and others. The suit challenged the FDA's 2000 decision to legalize mifepristone […]

In November 2022, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division, against the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on behalf of the Alliance of Hippocratic Medicine (AHM) and others.The suit challenged the FDA’s 2000 decision to legalize mifepristone and misoprostol, two drugs often used in conjunction as chemical abortifacients, and regulation of the drugs thereafter. The case rose through the Fifth Circuit, which ruled in favor of AHM. The Supreme Court granted cert, heard Oral Argument on March 26, 2024, and on June 13, 2024, issued a 9-0 decision holding the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the FDA.Join us for a Courthouse Steps Decision program, where we will analyze this decision and its possible ramifications.Featuring:Adam Unikowsky, Partner, Jenner & Block LLPMegan M. Wold, Partner, Cooper & Kirk(Moderator) Prof. Teresa Stanton Collett, Professor and Director, Prolife Center, University of St. Thomas School of Law

#texasvaluesreport with special guest Matthew Hoffman, Legal Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), and host Jonathan Saenz, President & Attorney, Texas Values After the Biden administration announced its new Title IX rule, Alliance Defending Freedom worked to file lawsuits challenging various aspects of the rule across several states. Each of these cases has different specifics, but they all have one thing in common: The Biden administration's radical redefinition of sex and the damage that it causes. These lawsuits are a small portion of ADF's work to defend free speech and protect women's privacy and sports. Below is a list of ADF cases challenging these rules: [Filed May 21, 2024]: Carroll Independent School District v. United States Department of Education - ADF represents Carroll Independent School District which operates 11 schools serving more than 8,400 students. [Filed April 30, 2024]: Rapides Parish School Board v. United States Department of Education - ADF represents Rapides Parish School Board which serves 42 schools and more than 20,000 students. [Filed May 3, 2024] Tennessee v. Cardona - ADF moved to intervene on behalf of Adaleia Cross, a female athlete who's experienced unfair competition and sexual harassment by a male athlete, and Christian Educators who want the freedom to speak the truth about biological reality without punishment. [Filed May 7, 2024] Arkansas v. United States Department of Education - ADF represents 10th-grader, female athlete Amelia Ford, who wants to protect women's privacy and safety, stand up for free speech, and secure fairness for women's sports. - ADF is co-plaintiff with Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska. [Filed May 14, 2024] Kansas v. U.S. Department of Education - ADF represents 7th grader Katie Rowland who feels uncomfortable sharing a restroom with males. - ADF will file on Katie's behalf as co-plaintiff with Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and Alaska. Register for Texas Values 7th Annual Faith, Family, & Freedom Forum Sept. 13-14! txvalues.org/forum Help us build our channel so we can maintain a culture of Faith, Family, & Freedom in Texas by interacting with us; like, comment, share, subscribe! For more about Texas Values see: Txvalues.org Considering donating to stand with us in the fight to protect Judeo-Christian values in the state of Texas? Now is the time to do so while we have a $200,000 matching grant in place through the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2024. Join the fight: donate.txvalues.org/GivetoTexasValues

Welcome back to a new season of Givers, Doers, & Thinkers! To kick off the sixth season, Jeremy sits down with Jeremy Tedesco to discuss how we might better protect viewpoint diversity, free speech, and religious freedom in the workplace. Jeremy Tedesco is senior counsel and senior vice president of corporate engagement for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).  Jeremy has litigated First Amendment cases at the highest levels and has been part of legal teams arguing major suits involving religious freedom before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is also the founder of ADF's Center for Conscience Initiatives, where he led efforts to protect individuals from government-coerced speech. Jeremy's writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today, among other places, and he can be seen or heard on Fox News, CNN, PBS, NPR, and other leading networks.Jeremy Tedesco sheds light on the perils of concentrated power, particularly within private companies. He reveals how the private sector is using its influence to undermine our cherished freedoms. From de-banking to viewpoint discrimination, Jeremy outlines the strategies to combat these issues, including the groundbreaking Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index pioneered by ADF. Discover its real-time effects on major corporations like JPMorgan Chase and what this could mean for the future of corporate America.Interested in joining the Center for Civil Society's “K to Campus: How the Education Reform Movement Can Reshape Higher Ed” conference on October 23-24 in sunny Malibu, CA? Sign up today to receive special early-bird pricing! We'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas, questions, and recommendations for the podcast! You can shoot Katie Janus, GDT's producer, an email anytime!Center for Civil Society's YouTube Channel

Michael P. Farris - Counselor to the President of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and the General Counsel of the NATIONAL RELIGIOUS BROADCASTERS (NRB) - is our guest at Courageous Leadership with Virginia Prodan Podcast.     Michael P. Farris has been an active conservative leader since the late 1970s. He was the founding president of the Home School Legal Defense Association and Patrick Henry College.  I Michael is a honors graduate of Western Washington State College (BA, Political Science), Gonzaga University School of Law (JD), and the University of London (LLM, Public International Law). He is married to Vickie and they have 10 children and approximately three times that number of grandchildren. He is also an Elder at Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia.   Michael's message will encourage you.        We at Courageous Leadership with Virginia Prodan Podcast - are here to help you.                For more training - individual, group or company training - go to: https://www.virginiaprodanbooks.com/freedom-coaching          Follow Courageous Leadership with Virginia Prodan  Podcast at: https://open.spotify.com/show/7kHPeoAgbkAHCg2C6RApEZ to hear encouraging & inspiring messages.             Order your signed copy(s) of Virginia Prodan 's memoir #SavingMyAssassin - directly here: https://virginiaprodanbooks.com/product/book/              Invite Virginia Prodan  to speak at your events - go to: https://lnkd.in/eQwj4R2u                  Follow Virginia Prodan   on:   Twitter : https://twitter.com/VirginiaProdan    Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/virginia.prodan.1   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-prodan-0244581b/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginiaprodan/   Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/VirginiaProd   Courageous Leadership with Virginia Prodan  Podcast on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7kHPeoAgbkAHCg2C6RApEZ   Donate to Virginia Prodan  Ministries - here: https://www.virginiaprodan.com/donate/

In this episode, Suzanne Gallagher, interviews Kate Anderson, Senior Counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and Director of the Center for Parental Rights. They discuss President Biden's recent rewrite of Title IX, which redefines sex discrimination in schools, potentially impacting federal funding for educational programs. Kate Anderson explains that this redefinition undermines equal protections for women, originally intended by Title IX, and poses significant legal concerns.Anderson mentions ADF's involvement in multiple lawsuits across various states to challenge these regulations. She highlights the participation in a case in Louisiana and involvement in coalitions in Missouri and Kansas to protect women's sports and parental rights. Anderson also discusses the actions of conservative states like Arkansas, where Governor Sarah Sanders issued an executive order to uphold state law against federal regulations.The conversation shifts to the federal government's enforcement of these regulations, where schools risk losing federal funding if they do not comply, potentially leading to overreactions by schools that infringe on free speech and parental rights.In Oregon, public schools have been required to teach about sexuality and gender identity, which Gallagher notes has been contentious. Anderson asserts that the Constitution protects parents' rights to direct their children's education and highlights the need for legislative solutions and parental opt-out rights.Finally, Gallagher and Anderson discuss the need for model policies and bills to combat unconstitutional laws, emphasizing the importance of legislative efforts and providing resources to school boards to counter misinformation. Anderson assures that ADF will continue to support parental rights and educational transparency through legislative and legal actions.Link to ADF Legal Link Resources:  https://adflegal.org/issues/parental-rights#resourcesSupport the Show.DONATE TODAY!www.ParentsRightsInEducation.com

Today I'm featuring the work of a very important organization that every Christian should know about: Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). ADF is one of the leading Christian law firms committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, marriage and family, parental rights, and the sanctity of life. Ryan Bangert, Senior VP at ADF, joins me to talk specifically about parental rights in this episode. He offers a wealth of information on this subject that is vital for parents to understand.SHOW NOTES:ADF's website: https://adflegal.org/Sign up for ADF email updates here: https://adflegal.org/email-sign-upADF Ministry Alliance (affordable religious freedom legal help for ministries): https://www.adfministryalliance.org/Financially support ADF here: https://adflegal.org/support/grants-funding

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, January 19th, 2024. Samaritan Ministries January 2024 Tired of someone else telling you where to go when you have a medical need? Are you ready to take control of your health care? Then it’s time to take a look at Samaritan Ministries. It’s Biblical, affordable health care sharing, with no restrictive networks. Here’s how it works. When a medical need arises, you choose the health care provider that’s right for you and have a say in the treatment you receive. Send your medical bills to Samaritan Ministries, and they’ll notify fellow members to pray for you and send money directly to you to help you pay those bills. Join 80,000 Christian households across the nation who have already taken control of their health care. Go to samaritan ministries dot org slash cross politic. https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/01/18/gop-led-house-approves-bill-to-avoid-shutdown-without-border-spending-deals/ GOP-Led House Approves Bill to Avoid Shutdown Without Border, Spending Deals The U.S. House of Representatives voted late Thursday afternoon to extend government funding into early March and avoid a temporary partial government shutdown, sending the continuing resolution to President Biden to sign into law. The measure, which passed by a vote of 314 to 108, angered conservative Republicans who opposed any continuing resolution to fund the government without concessions by the Democrats on border security and spending. The House Freedom Caucus made an eleventh-hour plea to House Speaker Mike Johnson to permit an amendment to the House’s border security package, which Johnson rejected. Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good slammed his fellow Republicans who supported the continuing resolution ahead of the vote. “The more things change, the more things stay the same,” he said in a floor speech. “We’re not even willing to risk a temporary pause in the 15 percent of the non-essential part of the government in order to force change in Washington,” he said. “No, we’re going to continue the status quo.” Good’s statements echoed an official position on the measure released by the Freedom Caucus hours before the vote. “Americans did not give Republicans a majority in the House to continue Nancy Pelosi’s inflationary spending and Joe Biden’s failed policies,” the group wrote in a statement. “This is not what we promised the American people.” The vote is also likely to be unpopular with the Republican base, which consistently ranks immigration as one of the top issues facing the country. Over 80 percent of Republican voters agree with President Donald Trump that the ongoing border crisis is “poisoning the blood” of America. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/blue-state-officials-pay-thousands-barring-church-preschool-lunch-program-beliefs-gender/ Blue State Officials Agree To Pay Thousands After Barring Church From Preschool Lunch Program For Beliefs On Gender California state officials agreed to settle with the Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center Tuesday for nearly $200,000 after trying to exclude the church from the state’s preschool lunch program. The church and the center, alongside Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), filed a lawsuit in June last year alleging that officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Social Services barred them from participating in the “Child and Adult Food Care Program” because of their religious beliefs on gender and sex. ADF and state officials filed a settlement agreement this week requiring the defendants to pay $30,000 for meals paid out of pocket in the absence of state funding and $160,000 for attorney’s fees. “In the name of combatting discrimination, government officials excluded the church and preschool from serving the El Cajon community based solely on their religious beliefs and exercise,” Jeremiah Galus, senior counsel for ADF, said in a press release. “While it shouldn’t have taken a lawsuit to resolve this, at least now Church of Compassion can continue its vital outreach to needy children and families.” The center had been a part of the USDA’s program for nearly two decades when the department changed its rules in 2021 requiring all participants to commit to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In May 2023, the department also required state directors of USDA’s food and nutrition service programs to prohibit “discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.” Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center failed to meet these new requirements for the 2022-2023 school year because of their beliefs on “human sexuality” and their refusal to “use any child or employee’s ‘preferred’ pronouns that do not correspond to biological sex,” according to the lawsuit. ADF argued that the department and state officials were deliberately discriminating against the church and the learning center because of its faith in violation of the First Amendment. “The government can’t withhold food from families in need simply because their children attend a Christian preschool. The Constitution protects the right of Church of Compassion and its preschool to operate according to the dictates of their faith,” Galus said in the press release. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2024/01/17/lgbt-activist-arrested-child-predator-sting-n2633750 Director of LGBTQ+ Organization That Helps Minors Arrested in Child Sex Sting The executive director of the pro-LGBTQ+ organization Rainbow Research Center was apprehended on suspicion of attempting to engage in sexual activities with a minor, according to The Modesto Bee. Reportedly, a total of 17 men were arrested on suspicion of eliciting sex with a minor after an undercover sting conducted by the Turlock Police Department in California. Gerard Slayton, 42, was one of them (via the Bee): Slayton recently was appointed executive director of the Rainbow Center, a local nonprofit organization that provides resources to LGBTQ+ members of all ages. It particularly offers resources related to mental and physical health. In a statement shared on Facebook, the Rainbow Resource Center said that Slayton’s actions occurred “outside working hours and off-premises.” “Mr. Slayton’s actions do not represent our organization’s values or mission. In accordance with our unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct and integrity, we are addressing the issue within the Rainbow Resource Center,” the statement read. “We are dedicated to rebuilding any trust that may have been affected by the situation. As an organization that is at the forefront of advocacy and support for the LGBTQ+ community, our actions must reflect our dedication to these principles,” it continued. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/beijing-china-wuhan-covid-19-100-percent-death-mice-study-full-paper/ Mutant COVID-19 Strain With 100% Kill Rate Developed In China A pre-peer-reviewed study published in early January described how mice were exposed to a human-based “lethal infection” of COVID-19 with a 100% mortality rate. The Beijing-based research paper was submitted to the scientific preprint site BioRXiv and published prior to peer review, but the data held within the pages is significant. Two SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronaviruses (GD/2019, GX/2017) were identified prior to the major COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019 through early 2020, according to the study’s authors. The researchers then isolated “mutant” strains, which were cultured in labs between 2017 and 2020. When the infectivity and pathogenicity of the isolates were tested, it was found to easily infect golden hamsters and mice. The first isolate pCoV-GD01 had a higher homology than COVID-19, whereas GX_P2V didn’t seem to cause any disease in the animals despite infection. But an early passaged GX_P2V isolate, named GX_P2v(short_3UTR) not only infected mice with extremely high viral loads into their lung and brain tissue, but eventually killed 100% of the mice within the study. Even those mice who were given an inoculation (i.e., vaccinated) succumbed to the disease. Autopsy of the mice showed viral RNA in the brain, lung, turbinate, eye and trachea, killing all of the mice within eight days of infection. All of the mice’s eyes also went white the day before they died. The authors argued this is the first report that COVID-19-related pangolin coronavirus can cause 100% mortality rates in mice, suggesting a significant risk of the disease spilling over into humans. But since the study is not peer-reviewed, there are huge questions about the efficacy of the results. “I had a look at the preprint. It’s a terrible study, scientifically totally pointless. I can see nothing of vague interest that could be learned from force-infecting a weird breed of humanised mice with a random virus. Conversely, I could see how such stuff might go wrong …” University College London genetics director Francois Balloux wrote on Twitter. “The preprint does not specify the biosafety level and biosafety precautions used for the research.” Balloux’s statements were reiterated by Rutgers University chemistry professor Richard H. Ebright, who wrote “concur” under the comment. It appears the biggest concern is related to why scientists feel the need to develop these horrific diseases. “The absence of this information raises the concerning possibility that part or all of this research, like the research in Wuhan in 2016-2019 that likely caused the Covid-19 pandemic, recklessly was performed without the minimal biosafety containment and practices essential for research with potential pandemic pathogens,” Balloux concluded. And it’s pretty hard to argue with his stance. China is already inching back toward lockdowns as mysterious viruses spread throughout the country. Most of these illnesses are being blamed on influenza strains and other respiratory diseases, but no single culprit has been identified to date.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, January 19th, 2024. Samaritan Ministries January 2024 Tired of someone else telling you where to go when you have a medical need? Are you ready to take control of your health care? Then it’s time to take a look at Samaritan Ministries. It’s Biblical, affordable health care sharing, with no restrictive networks. Here’s how it works. When a medical need arises, you choose the health care provider that’s right for you and have a say in the treatment you receive. Send your medical bills to Samaritan Ministries, and they’ll notify fellow members to pray for you and send money directly to you to help you pay those bills. Join 80,000 Christian households across the nation who have already taken control of their health care. Go to samaritan ministries dot org slash cross politic. https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/01/18/gop-led-house-approves-bill-to-avoid-shutdown-without-border-spending-deals/ GOP-Led House Approves Bill to Avoid Shutdown Without Border, Spending Deals The U.S. House of Representatives voted late Thursday afternoon to extend government funding into early March and avoid a temporary partial government shutdown, sending the continuing resolution to President Biden to sign into law. The measure, which passed by a vote of 314 to 108, angered conservative Republicans who opposed any continuing resolution to fund the government without concessions by the Democrats on border security and spending. The House Freedom Caucus made an eleventh-hour plea to House Speaker Mike Johnson to permit an amendment to the House’s border security package, which Johnson rejected. Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good slammed his fellow Republicans who supported the continuing resolution ahead of the vote. “The more things change, the more things stay the same,” he said in a floor speech. “We’re not even willing to risk a temporary pause in the 15 percent of the non-essential part of the government in order to force change in Washington,” he said. “No, we’re going to continue the status quo.” Good’s statements echoed an official position on the measure released by the Freedom Caucus hours before the vote. “Americans did not give Republicans a majority in the House to continue Nancy Pelosi’s inflationary spending and Joe Biden’s failed policies,” the group wrote in a statement. “This is not what we promised the American people.” The vote is also likely to be unpopular with the Republican base, which consistently ranks immigration as one of the top issues facing the country. Over 80 percent of Republican voters agree with President Donald Trump that the ongoing border crisis is “poisoning the blood” of America. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/blue-state-officials-pay-thousands-barring-church-preschool-lunch-program-beliefs-gender/ Blue State Officials Agree To Pay Thousands After Barring Church From Preschool Lunch Program For Beliefs On Gender California state officials agreed to settle with the Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center Tuesday for nearly $200,000 after trying to exclude the church from the state’s preschool lunch program. The church and the center, alongside Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), filed a lawsuit in June last year alleging that officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Social Services barred them from participating in the “Child and Adult Food Care Program” because of their religious beliefs on gender and sex. ADF and state officials filed a settlement agreement this week requiring the defendants to pay $30,000 for meals paid out of pocket in the absence of state funding and $160,000 for attorney’s fees. “In the name of combatting discrimination, government officials excluded the church and preschool from serving the El Cajon community based solely on their religious beliefs and exercise,” Jeremiah Galus, senior counsel for ADF, said in a press release. “While it shouldn’t have taken a lawsuit to resolve this, at least now Church of Compassion can continue its vital outreach to needy children and families.” The center had been a part of the USDA’s program for nearly two decades when the department changed its rules in 2021 requiring all participants to commit to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In May 2023, the department also required state directors of USDA’s food and nutrition service programs to prohibit “discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.” Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center failed to meet these new requirements for the 2022-2023 school year because of their beliefs on “human sexuality” and their refusal to “use any child or employee’s ‘preferred’ pronouns that do not correspond to biological sex,” according to the lawsuit. ADF argued that the department and state officials were deliberately discriminating against the church and the learning center because of its faith in violation of the First Amendment. “The government can’t withhold food from families in need simply because their children attend a Christian preschool. The Constitution protects the right of Church of Compassion and its preschool to operate according to the dictates of their faith,” Galus said in the press release. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2024/01/17/lgbt-activist-arrested-child-predator-sting-n2633750 Director of LGBTQ+ Organization That Helps Minors Arrested in Child Sex Sting The executive director of the pro-LGBTQ+ organization Rainbow Research Center was apprehended on suspicion of attempting to engage in sexual activities with a minor, according to The Modesto Bee. Reportedly, a total of 17 men were arrested on suspicion of eliciting sex with a minor after an undercover sting conducted by the Turlock Police Department in California. Gerard Slayton, 42, was one of them (via the Bee): Slayton recently was appointed executive director of the Rainbow Center, a local nonprofit organization that provides resources to LGBTQ+ members of all ages. It particularly offers resources related to mental and physical health. In a statement shared on Facebook, the Rainbow Resource Center said that Slayton’s actions occurred “outside working hours and off-premises.” “Mr. Slayton’s actions do not represent our organization’s values or mission. In accordance with our unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct and integrity, we are addressing the issue within the Rainbow Resource Center,” the statement read. “We are dedicated to rebuilding any trust that may have been affected by the situation. As an organization that is at the forefront of advocacy and support for the LGBTQ+ community, our actions must reflect our dedication to these principles,” it continued. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/beijing-china-wuhan-covid-19-100-percent-death-mice-study-full-paper/ Mutant COVID-19 Strain With 100% Kill Rate Developed In China A pre-peer-reviewed study published in early January described how mice were exposed to a human-based “lethal infection” of COVID-19 with a 100% mortality rate. The Beijing-based research paper was submitted to the scientific preprint site BioRXiv and published prior to peer review, but the data held within the pages is significant. Two SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronaviruses (GD/2019, GX/2017) were identified prior to the major COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019 through early 2020, according to the study’s authors. The researchers then isolated “mutant” strains, which were cultured in labs between 2017 and 2020. When the infectivity and pathogenicity of the isolates were tested, it was found to easily infect golden hamsters and mice. The first isolate pCoV-GD01 had a higher homology than COVID-19, whereas GX_P2V didn’t seem to cause any disease in the animals despite infection. But an early passaged GX_P2V isolate, named GX_P2v(short_3UTR) not only infected mice with extremely high viral loads into their lung and brain tissue, but eventually killed 100% of the mice within the study. Even those mice who were given an inoculation (i.e., vaccinated) succumbed to the disease. Autopsy of the mice showed viral RNA in the brain, lung, turbinate, eye and trachea, killing all of the mice within eight days of infection. All of the mice’s eyes also went white the day before they died. The authors argued this is the first report that COVID-19-related pangolin coronavirus can cause 100% mortality rates in mice, suggesting a significant risk of the disease spilling over into humans. But since the study is not peer-reviewed, there are huge questions about the efficacy of the results. “I had a look at the preprint. It’s a terrible study, scientifically totally pointless. I can see nothing of vague interest that could be learned from force-infecting a weird breed of humanised mice with a random virus. Conversely, I could see how such stuff might go wrong …” University College London genetics director Francois Balloux wrote on Twitter. “The preprint does not specify the biosafety level and biosafety precautions used for the research.” Balloux’s statements were reiterated by Rutgers University chemistry professor Richard H. Ebright, who wrote “concur” under the comment. It appears the biggest concern is related to why scientists feel the need to develop these horrific diseases. “The absence of this information raises the concerning possibility that part or all of this research, like the research in Wuhan in 2016-2019 that likely caused the Covid-19 pandemic, recklessly was performed without the minimal biosafety containment and practices essential for research with potential pandemic pathogens,” Balloux concluded. And it’s pretty hard to argue with his stance. China is already inching back toward lockdowns as mysterious viruses spread throughout the country. Most of these illnesses are being blamed on influenza strains and other respiratory diseases, but no single culprit has been identified to date.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, January 19th, 2024. Samaritan Ministries January 2024 Tired of someone else telling you where to go when you have a medical need? Are you ready to take control of your health care? Then it’s time to take a look at Samaritan Ministries. It’s Biblical, affordable health care sharing, with no restrictive networks. Here’s how it works. When a medical need arises, you choose the health care provider that’s right for you and have a say in the treatment you receive. Send your medical bills to Samaritan Ministries, and they’ll notify fellow members to pray for you and send money directly to you to help you pay those bills. Join 80,000 Christian households across the nation who have already taken control of their health care. Go to samaritan ministries dot org slash cross politic. https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/01/18/gop-led-house-approves-bill-to-avoid-shutdown-without-border-spending-deals/ GOP-Led House Approves Bill to Avoid Shutdown Without Border, Spending Deals The U.S. House of Representatives voted late Thursday afternoon to extend government funding into early March and avoid a temporary partial government shutdown, sending the continuing resolution to President Biden to sign into law. The measure, which passed by a vote of 314 to 108, angered conservative Republicans who opposed any continuing resolution to fund the government without concessions by the Democrats on border security and spending. The House Freedom Caucus made an eleventh-hour plea to House Speaker Mike Johnson to permit an amendment to the House’s border security package, which Johnson rejected. Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good slammed his fellow Republicans who supported the continuing resolution ahead of the vote. “The more things change, the more things stay the same,” he said in a floor speech. “We’re not even willing to risk a temporary pause in the 15 percent of the non-essential part of the government in order to force change in Washington,” he said. “No, we’re going to continue the status quo.” Good’s statements echoed an official position on the measure released by the Freedom Caucus hours before the vote. “Americans did not give Republicans a majority in the House to continue Nancy Pelosi’s inflationary spending and Joe Biden’s failed policies,” the group wrote in a statement. “This is not what we promised the American people.” The vote is also likely to be unpopular with the Republican base, which consistently ranks immigration as one of the top issues facing the country. Over 80 percent of Republican voters agree with President Donald Trump that the ongoing border crisis is “poisoning the blood” of America. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/blue-state-officials-pay-thousands-barring-church-preschool-lunch-program-beliefs-gender/ Blue State Officials Agree To Pay Thousands After Barring Church From Preschool Lunch Program For Beliefs On Gender California state officials agreed to settle with the Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center Tuesday for nearly $200,000 after trying to exclude the church from the state’s preschool lunch program. The church and the center, alongside Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), filed a lawsuit in June last year alleging that officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Social Services barred them from participating in the “Child and Adult Food Care Program” because of their religious beliefs on gender and sex. ADF and state officials filed a settlement agreement this week requiring the defendants to pay $30,000 for meals paid out of pocket in the absence of state funding and $160,000 for attorney’s fees. “In the name of combatting discrimination, government officials excluded the church and preschool from serving the El Cajon community based solely on their religious beliefs and exercise,” Jeremiah Galus, senior counsel for ADF, said in a press release. “While it shouldn’t have taken a lawsuit to resolve this, at least now Church of Compassion can continue its vital outreach to needy children and families.” The center had been a part of the USDA’s program for nearly two decades when the department changed its rules in 2021 requiring all participants to commit to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In May 2023, the department also required state directors of USDA’s food and nutrition service programs to prohibit “discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.” Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center failed to meet these new requirements for the 2022-2023 school year because of their beliefs on “human sexuality” and their refusal to “use any child or employee’s ‘preferred’ pronouns that do not correspond to biological sex,” according to the lawsuit. ADF argued that the department and state officials were deliberately discriminating against the church and the learning center because of its faith in violation of the First Amendment. “The government can’t withhold food from families in need simply because their children attend a Christian preschool. The Constitution protects the right of Church of Compassion and its preschool to operate according to the dictates of their faith,” Galus said in the press release. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2024/01/17/lgbt-activist-arrested-child-predator-sting-n2633750 Director of LGBTQ+ Organization That Helps Minors Arrested in Child Sex Sting The executive director of the pro-LGBTQ+ organization Rainbow Research Center was apprehended on suspicion of attempting to engage in sexual activities with a minor, according to The Modesto Bee. Reportedly, a total of 17 men were arrested on suspicion of eliciting sex with a minor after an undercover sting conducted by the Turlock Police Department in California. Gerard Slayton, 42, was one of them (via the Bee): Slayton recently was appointed executive director of the Rainbow Center, a local nonprofit organization that provides resources to LGBTQ+ members of all ages. It particularly offers resources related to mental and physical health. In a statement shared on Facebook, the Rainbow Resource Center said that Slayton’s actions occurred “outside working hours and off-premises.” “Mr. Slayton’s actions do not represent our organization’s values or mission. In accordance with our unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct and integrity, we are addressing the issue within the Rainbow Resource Center,” the statement read. “We are dedicated to rebuilding any trust that may have been affected by the situation. As an organization that is at the forefront of advocacy and support for the LGBTQ+ community, our actions must reflect our dedication to these principles,” it continued. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/beijing-china-wuhan-covid-19-100-percent-death-mice-study-full-paper/ Mutant COVID-19 Strain With 100% Kill Rate Developed In China A pre-peer-reviewed study published in early January described how mice were exposed to a human-based “lethal infection” of COVID-19 with a 100% mortality rate. The Beijing-based research paper was submitted to the scientific preprint site BioRXiv and published prior to peer review, but the data held within the pages is significant. Two SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronaviruses (GD/2019, GX/2017) were identified prior to the major COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019 through early 2020, according to the study’s authors. The researchers then isolated “mutant” strains, which were cultured in labs between 2017 and 2020. When the infectivity and pathogenicity of the isolates were tested, it was found to easily infect golden hamsters and mice. The first isolate pCoV-GD01 had a higher homology than COVID-19, whereas GX_P2V didn’t seem to cause any disease in the animals despite infection. But an early passaged GX_P2V isolate, named GX_P2v(short_3UTR) not only infected mice with extremely high viral loads into their lung and brain tissue, but eventually killed 100% of the mice within the study. Even those mice who were given an inoculation (i.e., vaccinated) succumbed to the disease. Autopsy of the mice showed viral RNA in the brain, lung, turbinate, eye and trachea, killing all of the mice within eight days of infection. All of the mice’s eyes also went white the day before they died. The authors argued this is the first report that COVID-19-related pangolin coronavirus can cause 100% mortality rates in mice, suggesting a significant risk of the disease spilling over into humans. But since the study is not peer-reviewed, there are huge questions about the efficacy of the results. “I had a look at the preprint. It’s a terrible study, scientifically totally pointless. I can see nothing of vague interest that could be learned from force-infecting a weird breed of humanised mice with a random virus. Conversely, I could see how such stuff might go wrong …” University College London genetics director Francois Balloux wrote on Twitter. “The preprint does not specify the biosafety level and biosafety precautions used for the research.” Balloux’s statements were reiterated by Rutgers University chemistry professor Richard H. Ebright, who wrote “concur” under the comment. It appears the biggest concern is related to why scientists feel the need to develop these horrific diseases. “The absence of this information raises the concerning possibility that part or all of this research, like the research in Wuhan in 2016-2019 that likely caused the Covid-19 pandemic, recklessly was performed without the minimal biosafety containment and practices essential for research with potential pandemic pathogens,” Balloux concluded. And it’s pretty hard to argue with his stance. China is already inching back toward lockdowns as mysterious viruses spread throughout the country. Most of these illnesses are being blamed on influenza strains and other respiratory diseases, but no single culprit has been identified to date.

Texas Values Report with special guest Ryan Bangert, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and guest host Mary Elizabeth Castle, Director of Government Relations, Texas Values

Help us #ProtectTheDefectors from the LGBT subculture this Giving Tuesday: https://39617564.hs-sites.com/en/protect-the-defectors Refute the Top 5 Gay Myths with this incredible, free eBook: https://ruthinstitute.org/top-5-myths John J. Bursch serves as vice president of appellate advocacy for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the largest public-interest law firm in the world defending religious liberty, free speech, parental rights, marriage and family, and the right to life. John has argued twelve cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, including cases defending the Catholic Church's teachings on marriage and sexuality. John speaks frequently to groups — both religious and secular — about topics including marriage, human sexuality, the right to life, and religious liberty. He is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, a three-time past president of the Grand Rapids Legatus Chapter, and a member of the Pro-Life Partners Foundation Advisory Board. Bursch's book, Loving God's Children: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/loving-gods-children/ Dr. Morse's book The Sexual State: www.TheSexualState.com Detransitioner Chloe Cole on The Dr J Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBWk-fZviGY Bursch's article, ‘Transgender' Baptisms? Sorting Out the Vatican's Recent Statement: https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/transgender-baptisms-sorting-out-the-vatican-s-recent-statement Dr. Morse's article, What ‘Gay Marriage' Has to Do With Transgenderism: https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/what-gay-marriage-has-to-do-with-transgenderism This episode of The Dr J Show may also be seen on the following platforms: TheRuthInstitute.Locals.com https://rumble.com/c/TheRuthInstitute https://www.bitchute.com/channel/MXkW... https://odysee.com/@TheRuthInstitute:... Sign up for our weekly newsletter here: https://ruthinstitute.org/newsletter/

The Carteret County Board of Education will conduct a second reading and potentially give final approval to policy updates related to the "Parents' Bill of Rights" law, as mandated by the N.C. General Assembly. The updates, advised by the NC School Boards Association, focus on parental involvement in issues like gender identity and sexual education, with provisions for responding to student-initiated questions. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on November 8th.For more details, you can read the full article on Carolina Coast Online.Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) appealed to the 9th Circuit Court to uphold parents' rights in upbringing decisions, particularly in a case involving Chico Unified School District's failure to inform a mother about her child's name and pronoun usage at school.For more information, visit ADF MediaThe podcast discusses a disturbing incident in the Tigard Tualatin School District where a 6-year-old was assaulted by an older student on a school bus, leading to a Traumatic Brain Injury. The school's response is criticized for its lack of transparency and accountability, including a hastily concluded investigation and failure to communicate with families. The episode highlights systemic safety issues in schools, criticizing the emphasis on diversity and inclusion over actual student safety. It advocates for equitable safety measures and stronger parental involvement in children's well-being, echoing concerns from over 100 district parents about similar incidents.In this episode of "Parents' Rights in Education," host Suzanne interviews Kristi Baker, the mother of the child who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury in the Tigard Tualatin School District incident. Kristi provides a poignant account of her family's ordeal, emphasizing the challenges they faced with the school's lack of cooperation and transparency. The segment is particularly informative for parents, as it offers guidance on how to effectively investigate a school incident when facing resistance from educational authorities. Kristi's insights shed light on the necessity for parental advocacy in ensuring accountability and obtaining justice in situations where a school may be uncooperative or misleading.Support the showDONATE TODAY!www.ParentsRightsInEducation.com

Jonny reviews new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson's (R-LA) incredibly toxic anti-LGBTQ legislative and legal history. He profiles Johnson's origins in the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and the damage they are doing across the nation and across the world in the name of "defending" their religious beliefs. In the back half of the show, Jonny profiles Pastor Elazar Schoch Zavaletta of the formerly-named North Avenue Mission in Baltimore, MD. Zavaletta is an out, trans pastor serving the unhoused and marginalized in an impoverished urban neighborhood. Jonny juxtaposes Johnson and the ADF with Zavaletta and the NAM as two different paths for faith-based Christian responses to LGBTQ+ (and other) people and their needs.

The Washington Post loves to promote their reporting with the tagline, “democracy dies in darkness.” But in a published hit piece last month, designed to smear Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), they intentionally put readers in the dark with half-truths and thinly veiled insinuations, pointing to the fact that a number of ADF plaintiffs are no longer in business as evidence that ADF has “fabricated” religious freedom attacks on Christian vendors who cannot serve same-sex weddings.  Just because some of the cases have been pre-enforcement challenges, doesn't change the fact that Alliance Defending Freedom has defended bakers, florists, photographers and graphic artists from stiff state penalties for refusing to violate their conscience. The attack on Barronelle Stutzman lasted for more than a decade, and Jack Phillips is still being targeted by a trans-activist lawyer enabled by the state of Colorado.  The Post's hit piece obscures what's at stake, who are the aggressors, and what freedom means. Missing all of that is how democracy really dies. 

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, October 10th, 2023. Gravity Jack: Gravity Jack is a full service digital agency specializing in the development of Virtual & Augmented Reality experiences, mobile apps, blockchain and Web3 projects. Founded in 2009 as the first American agency to offer augmented reality, they even patented it; Gravity Jack's digital experiences have been a source of innovation for small business, Fortune 500 Companies, and the US Military. Get your vision in motion at gravityjack.com https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2023/10/08/100000-israeli-troops-mobilized-for-first-declared-war-since-1973-n2629547 Israel Mobilizes 100,000 Troops for Gaza Incursion It might be the worst intelligence failure since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, a conflict that almost destroyed Israel after a surprise attack from Syria and Egypt. Israel was on the brink as Syrian forces reclaimed the Golan Heights, and it was by sheer luck that this invading force didn’t move further to capture the key bridges along the Jordan River. Israel’s heartland would’ve been wide open. The game could’ve been over, so Israel continues to respond forcefully against incursion by terrorists and its Arab neighbors since it’s a nation with no strategic depth. How Jerusalem was caught sleeping amid this latest assault by Hamas on October 7 must be investigated since Shin Bet and Mossad are some of the most capable agencies in the world. This attack occurred on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, and like that last war, the assault began during a Jewish holiday. Hamas launched thousands of rockets as cover for a land, sea, and air assault that could only have been made possible with outside help, considering its sophisticated nature. Iran has admitted they helped plan the assault. The death toll has risen to 700, with reports of kidnappings, rapes, and murder of Israeli citizens caught in the fighting. Hamas operatives paraglided into Southern Israel, with other terrorists attacking over two dozen areas along the Gaza border. Some Americans were also kidnapped and murdered by these terrorists. The footprint from Hamas was around 1,000 terrorists who stormed the infiltrated Israeli territory. Border Police and other forces are still fighting to restore order to the security situation in the area, but tanks and troops are being mobilized for a ground assault. Around 100,000 Israeli troops are ready to go into Gaza, with more reservists expected to be called up as Israel expects this to erupt into a multi-front war. Hezbollah has already launched rocket and mortar attacks in the northern Israel (via Associated Press): More than 24 hours after Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion out of Gaza, Israeli forces were still battling with militants holed up in several locations Monday morning. At least 700 people have reportedly been killed in Israel — a staggering toll on a scale the country has not experienced in decades — and more than 400 have been killed in Gaza. Israel said it brought in special forces to try to wrest control of four sites from Hamas fighters, including two points that militants entered earlier in their attacks. Meanwhile, Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group claimed to have taken captive more than 130 people from inside Israel and brought them into Gaza, saying they would be traded for the release of thousands of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The announcement, though unconfirmed, was the first sign of the scope of abductions. The captives are known to include soldiers and civilians, including women, children and older adults — mostly Israelis but also some people of other nationalities. The Israeli military said only that the number of captives is “significant.” As many as 1,000 Hamas fighters were involved in Saturday morning’s assault, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, speaking on ABC’s “This Week.” The high figure underscored the extent of planning by the militant group ruling Gaza, which has said it launched the attack in response to mounting Palestinian suffering under Israel’s occupation and blockade of Gaza. In northern Israel, a brief exchange of strikes with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group fanned fears that the fighting could expand into a wider regional war. Hezbollah fired rockets and shells Sunday at Israeli positions in a disputed area along the border, and Israel fired back using armed drones. The Israeli military said the situation was calm after the exchange. Israelis were still reeling from the breadth, ferocity and surprise of the Hamas assault. The group’s fighters broke through Israel’s security fence surrounding the Gaza Strip early Saturday. Using motorcycles and pickup trucks, even paragliders and speedboats on the coast, they moved into nearby Israeli communities — as many as 22 locations. https://themessenger.com/news/hamas-threatens-to-start-executing-hostages-if-gaza-strikes-continue Hamas Threatens to Start Executing Hostages If Gaza Strikes Continue Hamas on Monday threatened to execute Israeli hostages being held in Gaza if Israel continues to conduct airstrikes without warning. “Any targeting of innocent civilians without warning will be met regretfully by executing one of the captives in our custody, and we will be forced to broadcast this execution,” Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas’ Qassam Brigades, said in a statement to Al Jazeera. Hamas has claimed to be holding more than 100 Israelis prisoner in the Gaza Strip, according to the Qatar-based network. The warning from Hamas came as Israeli Defense Forces intensified a bombardment of Gaza as dusk fell on Monday. Images shown live on CNN showed heavy rocket fire lighting up the sky above Gaza, a Palestinian enclave about the size of Omaha, Nebraska, that's home to some two million people and considered one of the most densely populated places in the world. There are reports that American citizens are among those being held captive in Gaza. The State Dept. said it was working to confirm those reports. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/christian-baker-faces-new-lawsuit-over-gender-transition-cake-after-supreme-court Christian baker faces new lawsuit over gender-transition cake after Supreme Court The Colorado Supreme Court agreed to hear the case against Christian cake baker Jack Phillips, which he says is the "light at the end of the tunnel" after more than 11 years in court. Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, declined to create a custom cake for a same-sex wedding in a move that sparked a 2012 lawsuit that ultimately landed him at the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2018, the nine justices ruled that the state of Colorado was hostile to Phillip’s religious beliefs and that the government can’t force anyone to create custom works of art that communicate a message. But in 2018, Phillips faced a second lawsuit, this time from a transgender lawyer who requested a cake celebrating a gender transition. When Phillips declined, he was back in court on grounds that he discriminated against the lawyer. The Colorado Supreme Court just agreed to hear his case. "I hope it is the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m pretty excited about it," Phillips told Fox News Digital in an interview. "The state court turned us down in our first case, but I think they realize now that I serve everybody." "This case is not who I serve, but it’s always the what I’m going to create not the who that’s asking for it. And I hope they get that right this time," said Phillips. Jake Warner, attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) defending Phillips, said that the lawsuit from the beginning was "clearly a set-up" with the intent of "targeting" Phillips and his beliefs. In 2018, Autumn Scardina, who identifies as transgender, asked Phillips to make a cake celebrating a gender transition – pink on the inside, blue on the outside. When Phillips declined, Scardina asked for a cake depicting Satan smoking a marijuana joint – which Phillips also declined. During the trial phase, "Scardina promised Phillips that, were this suit dismissed, Scardina would call Phillips the next day to request another cake and start another lawsuit," legal documents state. Despite being in court for more than a decade, "numerous threatening emails" and death threats, Phillips says the case has helped to "strengthen" his faith. "We just celebrated our 30th anniversary of being in business Labor Day weekend. And so for 30 years we’ve served everybody who’s come into our shop," he said. "But this whole legal battle has helped strengthen my faith in Jesus Christ and strengthen our family, brought us all closer together. It’s brought together a lot of people who have helped support us in so many ways." Phillips mentioned that a gay man testified on his behalf in court "because he understood that I serve everybody, gladly served him, but he knows that I couldn’t create every cake that people would ask me for." "It’s been an encouraging time to see people stand beside us like that," he said. When it comes to this latest challenge, Phillips said Scardina is "not the enemy" and that he has "nothing to forgive." "This person isn’t fighting against me, this case is against the state and my right to express my religious freedom and do so without fear of punishment in the marketplace," said Phillips. Oral arguments for the case have yet to be set but likely will be scheduled for the springtime next year. ADF will argue that because of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Phillip’s previous case and the latest ruling in 303 Creative vs. Elenis involving a website designer, which determined that the government can’t compel an artist to speak a message with which they disagree, that the law is on Phillips’ side. "What's critical now after 303 is the fact that this cake actually does communicate a message. The trial court found that this cake symbolizes the transition from male to female and went into great detail about the symbolism of the cake. The court found that blue represents male and pink represents female and that this cake communicates a message given the context of how cake artists are often asked to create custom cakes," Warner said. "In light of 303 Creative, the Colorado Supreme Court should reverse the decision below and affirm Jack's right to speak consistently with his beliefs. He shouldn't be punished for declining to create a custom cake promoting a message that goes against his beliefs," Warner added. https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/in-depth-us-gives-more-than-4-1-billion-in-grants-for-lgbt-and-transgender-initiatives-worldwide-5498747?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport US Gives More Than $4.1 Billion in Grants for LGBT and Transgender Initiatives Worldwide During the past three fiscal years, $4.1 billion in federal money from taxpayers has been flowing to LGBT initiatives in the United States and around the world, an Epoch Times investigation has revealed. From Oct. 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2023, the U.S. government issued more than 1,100 grants to fund LGBT-promoting projects around the world, according to the Epoch Times review of a federal spending website. The scope of projects varies widely. Plans to create a "safe space for LGBTQ youth and adults to seek support and resources" earned a $1.8 million grant from the U.S. government in 2022 for the LGBT Life Center in Norfolk, Virginia. A proposal for encouraging "diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities by promoting economic empowerment of and opportunity for LGBTQI+ people in Serbia" also was a winning plan. To fund it, the U.S. government awarded a Serbian activist group a grant of $500,000. An Armenian activist group, the Pink Human Rights Defender, received $1 million from the United States "to empower the LGBTI community" in Armenia, a tiny country next to Turkey. The federal spending website can be filtered to show entries that include specific keywords. A list of payouts filtered by using the keyword "LGBT" included 1,181 grants, 31 loans, and nine direct payments during the past three fiscal years. Overall, during the past fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the government issued 454,821 grants. Government grants provide free money for specific purposes. Federal loans can be repaid over long periods of time at low interest rates. Direct payments from the government give money to groups—they may be unrestricted, or for a specific use. Of grants connected to the keyword "LGBT," individual payouts of at least $1 million totaled more than $3.7 billion combined. Many additional smaller grants also were awarded for LGBT initiatives but were not reviewed. When the list was filtered for grants including the word "transgender," 574 were listed. In that category, grants that paid out at least $1 million totaled nearly $478 million. Seven direct payments and nine loans with the keyword "transgender" also were issued by the U.S. government. Yet money flows to these projects. The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) gave $1.2 million to "LGBTQIA+ pride centers" in the San Diego Community College District. Another DOE grant of almost $1.6 million was awarded for North Dakota's “indigenous, LGBTQIA+, rural and underserved school-based mental health needs.” A DOE grant gave $1.4 million to Boston College to study "mechanisms of health promotion in diverse youth through gay-straight alliances." In plain speak, the grant funded the promotion of gay-straight alliance clubs in Massachusetts middle and high schools. "The federal government thumbs their nose at the American people and continues to push this ideology into our schools," "They're doing it all over the world." And that - is your news for today… this has been your CrossPolitic Daily NewsBrief. Just so y’all are aware - this will be the only newsbrief for the next week or so, as I will be out of town for our Fight Laugh Feast Conference at the Ark Encounter - as well as visiting my brother in North Carolina after that… if you liked the show …..

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, October 10th, 2023. Gravity Jack: Gravity Jack is a full service digital agency specializing in the development of Virtual & Augmented Reality experiences, mobile apps, blockchain and Web3 projects. Founded in 2009 as the first American agency to offer augmented reality, they even patented it; Gravity Jack's digital experiences have been a source of innovation for small business, Fortune 500 Companies, and the US Military. Get your vision in motion at gravityjack.com https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2023/10/08/100000-israeli-troops-mobilized-for-first-declared-war-since-1973-n2629547 Israel Mobilizes 100,000 Troops for Gaza Incursion It might be the worst intelligence failure since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, a conflict that almost destroyed Israel after a surprise attack from Syria and Egypt. Israel was on the brink as Syrian forces reclaimed the Golan Heights, and it was by sheer luck that this invading force didn’t move further to capture the key bridges along the Jordan River. Israel’s heartland would’ve been wide open. The game could’ve been over, so Israel continues to respond forcefully against incursion by terrorists and its Arab neighbors since it’s a nation with no strategic depth. How Jerusalem was caught sleeping amid this latest assault by Hamas on October 7 must be investigated since Shin Bet and Mossad are some of the most capable agencies in the world. This attack occurred on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, and like that last war, the assault began during a Jewish holiday. Hamas launched thousands of rockets as cover for a land, sea, and air assault that could only have been made possible with outside help, considering its sophisticated nature. Iran has admitted they helped plan the assault. The death toll has risen to 700, with reports of kidnappings, rapes, and murder of Israeli citizens caught in the fighting. Hamas operatives paraglided into Southern Israel, with other terrorists attacking over two dozen areas along the Gaza border. Some Americans were also kidnapped and murdered by these terrorists. The footprint from Hamas was around 1,000 terrorists who stormed the infiltrated Israeli territory. Border Police and other forces are still fighting to restore order to the security situation in the area, but tanks and troops are being mobilized for a ground assault. Around 100,000 Israeli troops are ready to go into Gaza, with more reservists expected to be called up as Israel expects this to erupt into a multi-front war. Hezbollah has already launched rocket and mortar attacks in the northern Israel (via Associated Press): More than 24 hours after Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion out of Gaza, Israeli forces were still battling with militants holed up in several locations Monday morning. At least 700 people have reportedly been killed in Israel — a staggering toll on a scale the country has not experienced in decades — and more than 400 have been killed in Gaza. Israel said it brought in special forces to try to wrest control of four sites from Hamas fighters, including two points that militants entered earlier in their attacks. Meanwhile, Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group claimed to have taken captive more than 130 people from inside Israel and brought them into Gaza, saying they would be traded for the release of thousands of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The announcement, though unconfirmed, was the first sign of the scope of abductions. The captives are known to include soldiers and civilians, including women, children and older adults — mostly Israelis but also some people of other nationalities. The Israeli military said only that the number of captives is “significant.” As many as 1,000 Hamas fighters were involved in Saturday morning’s assault, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, speaking on ABC’s “This Week.” The high figure underscored the extent of planning by the militant group ruling Gaza, which has said it launched the attack in response to mounting Palestinian suffering under Israel’s occupation and blockade of Gaza. In northern Israel, a brief exchange of strikes with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group fanned fears that the fighting could expand into a wider regional war. Hezbollah fired rockets and shells Sunday at Israeli positions in a disputed area along the border, and Israel fired back using armed drones. The Israeli military said the situation was calm after the exchange. Israelis were still reeling from the breadth, ferocity and surprise of the Hamas assault. The group’s fighters broke through Israel’s security fence surrounding the Gaza Strip early Saturday. Using motorcycles and pickup trucks, even paragliders and speedboats on the coast, they moved into nearby Israeli communities — as many as 22 locations. https://themessenger.com/news/hamas-threatens-to-start-executing-hostages-if-gaza-strikes-continue Hamas Threatens to Start Executing Hostages If Gaza Strikes Continue Hamas on Monday threatened to execute Israeli hostages being held in Gaza if Israel continues to conduct airstrikes without warning. “Any targeting of innocent civilians without warning will be met regretfully by executing one of the captives in our custody, and we will be forced to broadcast this execution,” Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas’ Qassam Brigades, said in a statement to Al Jazeera. Hamas has claimed to be holding more than 100 Israelis prisoner in the Gaza Strip, according to the Qatar-based network. The warning from Hamas came as Israeli Defense Forces intensified a bombardment of Gaza as dusk fell on Monday. Images shown live on CNN showed heavy rocket fire lighting up the sky above Gaza, a Palestinian enclave about the size of Omaha, Nebraska, that's home to some two million people and considered one of the most densely populated places in the world. There are reports that American citizens are among those being held captive in Gaza. The State Dept. said it was working to confirm those reports. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/christian-baker-faces-new-lawsuit-over-gender-transition-cake-after-supreme-court Christian baker faces new lawsuit over gender-transition cake after Supreme Court The Colorado Supreme Court agreed to hear the case against Christian cake baker Jack Phillips, which he says is the "light at the end of the tunnel" after more than 11 years in court. Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, declined to create a custom cake for a same-sex wedding in a move that sparked a 2012 lawsuit that ultimately landed him at the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2018, the nine justices ruled that the state of Colorado was hostile to Phillip’s religious beliefs and that the government can’t force anyone to create custom works of art that communicate a message. But in 2018, Phillips faced a second lawsuit, this time from a transgender lawyer who requested a cake celebrating a gender transition. When Phillips declined, he was back in court on grounds that he discriminated against the lawyer. The Colorado Supreme Court just agreed to hear his case. "I hope it is the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m pretty excited about it," Phillips told Fox News Digital in an interview. "The state court turned us down in our first case, but I think they realize now that I serve everybody." "This case is not who I serve, but it’s always the what I’m going to create not the who that’s asking for it. And I hope they get that right this time," said Phillips. Jake Warner, attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) defending Phillips, said that the lawsuit from the beginning was "clearly a set-up" with the intent of "targeting" Phillips and his beliefs. In 2018, Autumn Scardina, who identifies as transgender, asked Phillips to make a cake celebrating a gender transition – pink on the inside, blue on the outside. When Phillips declined, Scardina asked for a cake depicting Satan smoking a marijuana joint – which Phillips also declined. During the trial phase, "Scardina promised Phillips that, were this suit dismissed, Scardina would call Phillips the next day to request another cake and start another lawsuit," legal documents state. Despite being in court for more than a decade, "numerous threatening emails" and death threats, Phillips says the case has helped to "strengthen" his faith. "We just celebrated our 30th anniversary of being in business Labor Day weekend. And so for 30 years we’ve served everybody who’s come into our shop," he said. "But this whole legal battle has helped strengthen my faith in Jesus Christ and strengthen our family, brought us all closer together. It’s brought together a lot of people who have helped support us in so many ways." Phillips mentioned that a gay man testified on his behalf in court "because he understood that I serve everybody, gladly served him, but he knows that I couldn’t create every cake that people would ask me for." "It’s been an encouraging time to see people stand beside us like that," he said. When it comes to this latest challenge, Phillips said Scardina is "not the enemy" and that he has "nothing to forgive." "This person isn’t fighting against me, this case is against the state and my right to express my religious freedom and do so without fear of punishment in the marketplace," said Phillips. Oral arguments for the case have yet to be set but likely will be scheduled for the springtime next year. ADF will argue that because of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Phillip’s previous case and the latest ruling in 303 Creative vs. Elenis involving a website designer, which determined that the government can’t compel an artist to speak a message with which they disagree, that the law is on Phillips’ side. "What's critical now after 303 is the fact that this cake actually does communicate a message. The trial court found that this cake symbolizes the transition from male to female and went into great detail about the symbolism of the cake. The court found that blue represents male and pink represents female and that this cake communicates a message given the context of how cake artists are often asked to create custom cakes," Warner said. "In light of 303 Creative, the Colorado Supreme Court should reverse the decision below and affirm Jack's right to speak consistently with his beliefs. He shouldn't be punished for declining to create a custom cake promoting a message that goes against his beliefs," Warner added. https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/in-depth-us-gives-more-than-4-1-billion-in-grants-for-lgbt-and-transgender-initiatives-worldwide-5498747?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport US Gives More Than $4.1 Billion in Grants for LGBT and Transgender Initiatives Worldwide During the past three fiscal years, $4.1 billion in federal money from taxpayers has been flowing to LGBT initiatives in the United States and around the world, an Epoch Times investigation has revealed. From Oct. 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2023, the U.S. government issued more than 1,100 grants to fund LGBT-promoting projects around the world, according to the Epoch Times review of a federal spending website. The scope of projects varies widely. Plans to create a "safe space for LGBTQ youth and adults to seek support and resources" earned a $1.8 million grant from the U.S. government in 2022 for the LGBT Life Center in Norfolk, Virginia. A proposal for encouraging "diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities by promoting economic empowerment of and opportunity for LGBTQI+ people in Serbia" also was a winning plan. To fund it, the U.S. government awarded a Serbian activist group a grant of $500,000. An Armenian activist group, the Pink Human Rights Defender, received $1 million from the United States "to empower the LGBTI community" in Armenia, a tiny country next to Turkey. The federal spending website can be filtered to show entries that include specific keywords. A list of payouts filtered by using the keyword "LGBT" included 1,181 grants, 31 loans, and nine direct payments during the past three fiscal years. Overall, during the past fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the government issued 454,821 grants. Government grants provide free money for specific purposes. Federal loans can be repaid over long periods of time at low interest rates. Direct payments from the government give money to groups—they may be unrestricted, or for a specific use. Of grants connected to the keyword "LGBT," individual payouts of at least $1 million totaled more than $3.7 billion combined. Many additional smaller grants also were awarded for LGBT initiatives but were not reviewed. When the list was filtered for grants including the word "transgender," 574 were listed. In that category, grants that paid out at least $1 million totaled nearly $478 million. Seven direct payments and nine loans with the keyword "transgender" also were issued by the U.S. government. Yet money flows to these projects. The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) gave $1.2 million to "LGBTQIA+ pride centers" in the San Diego Community College District. Another DOE grant of almost $1.6 million was awarded for North Dakota's “indigenous, LGBTQIA+, rural and underserved school-based mental health needs.” A DOE grant gave $1.4 million to Boston College to study "mechanisms of health promotion in diverse youth through gay-straight alliances." In plain speak, the grant funded the promotion of gay-straight alliance clubs in Massachusetts middle and high schools. "The federal government thumbs their nose at the American people and continues to push this ideology into our schools," "They're doing it all over the world." And that - is your news for today… this has been your CrossPolitic Daily NewsBrief. Just so y’all are aware - this will be the only newsbrief for the next week or so, as I will be out of town for our Fight Laugh Feast Conference at the Ark Encounter - as well as visiting my brother in North Carolina after that… if you liked the show …..

In this episode, Mark and Jason welcome John Bursch to discuss his new book from Sophia Press, Loving God's Children. Roman Catholicism with a Texas Twang! John serves as Vice President of Appellate Advocacy for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the largest public-interest law firm in the world defending religious liberty, free speech, parental rights, marriage and family, and the right to life. John has argued twelve cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, including cases defending the Catholic Church's teachings on marriage and sexuality. John speaks frequently to groups—both religious and secular—about topics including marriage, human sexuality, the right to life, and religious liberty. A married father of five, John is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, a three-time past president of the Grand Rapids Legatus Chapter, and a member of the Pro-Life Partners Foundation Advisory Board. You can purchase his book at: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/loving-gods-children/ You can stay in contact with Sophia Press at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SophiaInstitutePress/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophiaPress You can contact us at: texcathedrapodcast@gmail.com Twitter @tex_cathedra

Southwest will appeal judge's ruling requiring 'religious liberty training', Reuters, By Daniel Wiessner, August 8, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-judge-orders-southwest-lawyers-undergo-religious-liberty-training-2023-08-08/#:~:text=Aug%208%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20Southwest,prominent%20conservative%20Christian%20legal%20group. The Non-Prophets, Episode 22.33.3 featuring Helen Greene, The Well-Known Skeptic, Aaron Jensen and"Jimmy Jr"Southwest is appealing a judge's ruling that requires religious liberty training for three of its senior lawyers. This was in response to Southwest not meeting the judge's previous ruling.They had been ordered to inform their employees of the judges previous order, in their notice to employees they said, “Southwest does not discriminate against our employees”. The judge had previously said, “may not” instead of “does not”.In his decision, Starr said, “Some of those entities laudably provide training free of charge for those who have struggled to respect religious liberties in the manner federal law requires.” And his selection? The Judge chose to assign training from a Christian group called the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Why do they always seem to include freedom or liberty in their name?The ADF has been designated as an anti-LGBT hate group by The Southern Poverty Law Center. They are arguably the most influential anti-LGBT group and also spearheaded the previous administration's attack on LGBT rights.They oppose same-sex marriage. they want to criminalize same-sex activity, they oppose anti-discrimination laws, they have opposed contraception, and are the group behind the current effort to remove FDA approval for Mifepristone. They have also taken an active role in writing anti-transgender bills for State legislatures.The legal memorandum opinion and Order granting sanctions that the judge from Texas, not Florida for once. But as before, we are seeing these efforts across the country. U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr is another example of a judge using their authority to prop up Christian values in blatant violation of the Constitution.The judge is retaliating against Southwest Airlines for penalizing a Christian, he is using the legal system to infuse his own religious ideology. It's a dangerous precedent, not only for atheists but for Christians, everyone could face efforts of indoctrination as a penalty for an act that conflicts with somebody's values.There's a reason we need to keep religion out of government, when you come together as a society you have to agree on a common framework of how we're all going to live together.If one chooses religion, those religious beliefs are frequently very oppressive to other groups. Often the same people historically as victims of religious groups. They tend to inflict serious harm on groups of people that they don't like.As skeptics, the danger of religion in government is clear. We're all subject to laws, we want laws to help us get along, and to help create equality. Introducing the creep of religion into our laws and our government slowly erodes away all of our liberties and freedoms.

On this day in legal history, August 10, 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was sworn in as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, becoming the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Her work has had a lasting impact on U.S. law, particularly in the areas of gender equality and civil rights. Ruth Bader Ginsburg's tenure on the U.S. Supreme Court was marked by significant decisions that shaped American law. In "United States v. Virginia" (1996), she authored the majority opinion that struck down the Virginia Military Institute's male-only admissions policy, emphasizing that gender equality is a constitutional right. In "Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Environmental Services" (2000), she wrote the opinion upholding citizens' rights to sue for environmental infractions, even when the illegal conduct had ceased. Ginsburg also wrote the dissenting opinion in "Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co." (2007), arguing for a broader interpretation of the statute of limitations for pay discrimination claims. Her dissent inspired the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, signed into law in 2009. Her work consistently displayed a commitment to civil rights, gender equality, and access to justice.Also on this day in legal history, my co-host Gina was born. Like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she is a jurist of note and, as of Fall 2023, a professor of law. She will positively hate this, but she's the coolest and the center of everyone around her's world. Love you G! A revived legal dispute concerning a Christian music teacher, John Kluge, who refused to use students' preferred pronouns, will test the US Supreme Court's new standard for religious accommodations in the workplace. Kluge lost his initial case under a precedent allowing employers to deny religious requests posing minimal hardship. However, the Supreme Court recently altered how religious accommodations should be analyzed, making them harder to reject. Kluge's case is returning to an Indiana federal court for reassessment under the Supreme Court's unanimous Groff v. Dejoy decision. Legal experts note that there is a lack of clear guidance on when a religious accommodation constitutes a "substantial" burden on an employer. This issue is becoming increasingly critical as courts grapple with religious requests and LGBT anti-discrimination protections. The school district will likely argue that Kluge's accommodation disrupted the academic environment, while Kluge must prove that his religious beliefs are sincere and that a reasonable accommodation exists. The new Groff standard is expected to complicate employment cases across the nation and impact the number of religious accommodation cases going forward.Religious Objections Over Pronouns Test High Court's New StanceSouthwest Airlines plans to appeal a Texas federal court order that requires three of the company's lawyers to undergo religious liberty training from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a prominent conservative Christian group. The order was handed down by Judge Brantley Starr after Southwest failed to comply with a court order related to a lawsuit by a flight attendant who was fired over anti-abortion social media posts. The company will also appeal a $5.1 million jury verdict for the ex-employee in her religious discrimination suit. Starr ordered the training after Southwest "inverted" a required notice regarding religious practices and beliefs of flight attendants. The selection of ADF for the training has attracted attention due to the group's advocacy in major legal battles over abortion and LGBTQ rights. Legal experts have described the order as unusual and unprecedented, though within the court's power. ADF's chief legal counsel expressed readiness to help Southwest with the training, emphasizing the importance of respecting religious liberty and diverse viewpoints in the workplace.Southwest to Fight ‘Unusual' Lawyer Religious Training Order (2)The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed Apple to maintain its App Store payment rules for now, denying a request by Epic Games that would have allowed developers to direct iPhone users to alternative purchasing options. Justice Elena Kagan, in charge of emergency matters for the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit, rejected Epic's request without explanation. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals previously found that Apple violated California's Unfair Competition Law by limiting developers' ability to communicate about other payment systems. However, Kagan's decision grants Apple a temporary reprieve from the ruling, with the appeals court having put its decision on hold for a potential Supreme Court appeal by Apple. If the justices refuse to hear the case, the ruling will take effect. The dispute could have significant financial implications for Apple, as the ruling may allow developers to bypass the 30% commission Apple charges for digital sales through its App Store. Both Apple and Epic declined immediate comment.Apple Can Keep App Store Rules for Now as Court Rejects Epic (2)The U.S. special counsel investigating former President Donald Trump obtained a search warrant for Trump's Twitter account in relation to the investigation of the events of January 6, 2021. Twitter, now known as X, delayed compliance with the warrant and raised First Amendment concerns regarding a nondisclosure order over the warrant. The company wanted to notify Trump about the warrant, leading to legal complications. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed a federal trial judge's decision to hold Twitter in contempt and fine it $350,000. Trump responded to the situation on his social media site Truth Social, claiming that the Justice Department "secretly attacked" his Twitter account. While Trump's tweets are publicly viewable, the warrant likely seeks access to non-public information like direct messages and drafts. The opinion did not identify which judge held Twitter in contempt, and spokespeople for the Special Counsel and X have not immediately commented.US obtained search warrant for Trump's Twitter account in Jan. 6 probe Get full access to Minimum Competence - Daily Legal News Podcast at www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

On this day in legal history, Richard M. Nixon resigned the office of the presidency, effective at noon. We covered that in yesterday's episode, so we won't go in to detail here. Instead, let's talk about Charles Manson.On this day in legal history, the Manson Family murdered actress Sharon Tate and four others in Los Angeles, California. The Manson Family murders not only shocked the nation but also presented an unprecedented challenge to the legal system. The subsequent trial was one of the longest and most widely publicized in American history, highlighting the difficulties in prosecuting criminal enterprises with deep psychological manipulation and control over its members. The complex nature of the crime, involving a charismatic leader and followers willing to commit murder on his command, pushed the boundaries of legal procedures and criminal responsibility. Moreover, the trial raised serious questions about the role of the media in shaping public opinion and potentially influencing the outcome of a case. Legal experts and scholars took a keen interest in the legal strategies employed, which included an attempt to prove that Manson's control over his followers was so complete that they were not responsible for their actions. The verdict, which saw Manson and several of his followers convicted, set a precedent in dealing with similar cult-like criminal organizations. Overall, the legal proceedings following the Manson murders contributed significantly to the development of legal theories and practices related to cult behavior, group responsibility, and the intersection of law, psychology, and media influence.Three in-house lawyers for Southwest Airlines were ordered to undergo religious freedom training from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) after a federal judge, Judge Brantley Starr, sanctioned them for inappropriate wording in a company notice on employee rights. The ruling came after former Southwest employee Charlene Carter won a religious discrimination case after being fired for anti-abortion social media posts. Judge Starr criticized Southwest's compliance with the court's order and mandated a “verbatim” statement reflecting the court's preferred language. The judge also expressed concerns over Southwest's "chronic failure" to understand federal religious freedom protections and considered the training the “least restrictive means” to ensure compliance. Southwest plans to appeal both the order and the underlying judgment. Meanwhile, the ADF, a Christian legal nonprofit, disputes the Southern Poverty Law Center's characterization of it as a hate group for its anti-LGBTQ views.The case has drawn attention to the balance between company policies and federal laws, especially Title VII, that protect religious freedoms. While Southwest argued it had the right to speak to its workers and maintain its civility policies, the judge's decision reflects the precedence of federal laws over internal company guidelines. Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Foundation, expressed hope that the order might encourage workers to express religious dissent against company and union political agendas.Southwest Lawyers Must Take ADF Religion Classes, Judge Says (1)The American Bar Association (ABA) has called on U.S. judicial leaders to investigate the mental health effects of violent or traumatic incidents on judges, their staff, and families, and recommend measures to enhance their safety. The request comes in the wake of increased threats and violence, such as an assassination attempt on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the 2020 murder of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas's son. The ABA's House of Delegates supported a resolution at its annual meeting, focusing on the mental health impacts of high caseloads and violence, and encouraging the development of training and professional, confidential treatment for judges and their families.The resolution's report emphasized that existing legislation, such as the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act, does not adequately address the whole threat spectrum or all victims. It stressed the need for attention to the broader community affected by traumatic events, including the often "forgotten" staff and families. The report also highlighted that trauma can stem not only from violent threats but also from experiences within court proceedings, such as complex sentencings, divorces, and abuse cases. It called for training on topics such as secondary trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and overall mental and emotional well-being.ABA calls for mental health study of judiciary amid rising threats | ReutersGoogle has requested a U.S. appeals court to pause a decision that would return an antitrust lawsuit, filed by Texas, back to federal court in Texas. The lawsuit, initially filed in 2020, accuses Google of abusing its dominance in advertising technology. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation initially granted the state's request to send the lawsuit back to Texas, but stayed the decision to give Google time to appeal. Google has disputed the move, arguing that a law granting state attorneys general the right to choose where an antitrust lawsuit will be litigated is not retroactive.This is the case that gave rise to discussions of Google's ad business potentially needing to be split, Bell Telephone-style. Google makes emergency request to block Texas antitrust lawsuit move | ReutersThe wealthy are increasingly using private foundations to create "jewel-box museums," garnering massive tax deductions while retaining control and enjoyment of valuable assets. These foundations, which are just basically 501(c)(3) organizations, are becoming tools of tax avoidance for affluent individuals, especially when they use them to house art or historic properties. The scheme typically involves donating an ostentatious mansion or valuable property to a private foundation, thereby theoretically entitling the donor to a plethora of income tax deductions. However, enforcement is lax, and there are not enough resources to ensure that these "museums" provide genuine public benefits or admit the public regularly.The reduction in IRS funding has hindered the agency's ability to police these quasi-museum schemes. Consequently, there is a need for tighter rules, more specific policies, and more transparent reporting to close existing loopholes. My proposed solutions include requiring explicit reporting of public access details, implementing random audits for compliance, and incentivizing whistleblowers. At the heart of the solution is a requirement for increased IRS funding and the political will to enforce regulations more stringently. Without addressing these loopholes, efforts to increase tax compliance by the wealthy or raise tax rates on top earners will continue to be undermined, perpetuating a system that disproportionately benefits the affluent.‘Jewel-Box' Museums Are the Wealthy's Latest Tax Dodge Scheme Get full access to Minimum Competence - Daily Legal News Podcast at www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

We all know about Millennials. Now we know about the so-called Gen-Z. We heard for years about the Baby Boomers and the so-called Silent Generation, old folks like me.Well, my fellow Americans and fellow Christians, I think it's about time the great USA and the world at large heard about and from:THE SILENT-QUIET-INTIMIDATED GENERATIONand that would be strong, born-again Christians, and equally strong, passionate Americans who will change the hateful label of silent-quiet and replace it with:THE STAND-UP GENERATION.The fight-the-fight-of-faith generation. The fight for the real America, the constitutional and rule of law America and to fight back against Cancel Culture, all things woke, radical and anti-American. It is time that America everywhere heard, loud and clear from this no-more silent Christian generation who will now aggressively fight the fight of faith with strong Christian and conservative, PEACEFUL WEAPONS. Can we now date this new STAND-UP GENERATION from 2023 to a time to be determined far into the future? No matter your age or stereotype, no matter by what generation you are labeled, you and I, mentally and spiritually, emotionally, and culturally should form the new aggressive meaningful force in America, once again:THE STAND-UP GENERATION.Are you ready to join? Are you finally ready to be heard, silent generation members? I do hope and pray so.A recent poll conducted by the ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM (ADF) found that conservative college students and workers say they fear sharing their political and religious beliefs in this virulent cancel-culture environment. They fear losing their jobs if they champion or express conservative religious or political views at work. Cancel culture retribution, woke intimidation, and criticism would come if such views were posted and made available on social media. So much for free speech, silent generation. But that silent force of intimidation seems to exist virtually everywhere.There are at least 284 large companies and corporations, such as Apple and Disney, which champion the agenda of LGBTQIA and at the same time, do everything possible to limit or extinguish the views and free speech expressions of conservatives and Christians. These large companies openly make it clear, even if indirectly, that conservatives and Christians will be “shut out of advancement opportunities,” mistreated by co-workers and bosses, and even fired for voicing their beliefs. Courageous conservatives and Christians will however stand up, not be intimidated, exercise their constitutional First Amendment rights of free speech and if there is retribution, bring a healthy dose of litigation against the offending company. That should be the non-violent payback of conservatives and Christians who experience this illegal, hateful, non-constitutional threat, intimidation, and unfair treatment.The ADF survey indicates that this kind of censorship and intimidation is everywhere and affects everything and virtually everyone either directly or indirectly. The bottom line is that these woke-workplace policies unfairly silence these good employees, and it is necessary and critical that they fight back.One such form of intimidation, and unfair and unequal treatment is the policy expressed by so many of these 284 corporations which require conservatives and Christians to not offend another person when they express their views. These companies require that corporate policy and etiquette require others, in speech expression, to be respectful of others. How interesting that these one-sided, biased, even hateful corporate officers, with their directors of integration, diversity, and the like, do not have the very same policies and expectations for woke, radical, anti- American employees as they work and express their views. Unfair, biased, hateful, anti-Conservative, and anti-Christian every bit as much as anything direct, overt, and tangible.The ADF study also indicated that so many large companies and corporations in America now enforce official and unofficial speech and thought codes for their employees. That of course produces a toxic, strained, stressful, and tenuous work environment. These same rules are surely applied in force to conservates and Christians but not so very much with all others.The excellent FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION (FIRE) reported in December that 88% of four-year colleges and universities now restrict the free expression of their students, requiring such expressions to be done only in so-called FREE SPEECH ZONES and even there with restrictions. So much for the Constitution, First Amendment, freedom of speech and press, and assembly, the gathering and speaking of conservative speakers, and of course, unabridged freedom of religion. These anti-American, anti-constitutional forces are everywhere and growing in clout and political muscle.CANCEL CULTURE is winning the cultural battle, but that is primarily because conservatives and Christians do not protest, are not heard, do not stand up, and do not exercise their constitutional or legal rights because of this rampant intimidation, ridicule, rejection, and revenge. This has to stop, my fellow conservatives and Christians, IT HAS TO STOP AND STOP NOW. And, only the brand-new STAND-UP GENERATION of those once silent, now silent no more, can make that happen. Let us start to fashion a new generation of Americans, Americans who will not take it anymore, Americans who will stand up for the true and real America, their rights, and freedoms in every constitutional rule of law sense. I URGE YOU TO BE AN ACTIVE PART OF THIS NEW GENERATION. I urge you to influence politics and culture in every way possible, and to be a force to be reckoned with in:ELECTIONS 2024.Millions of silent-no-more Americans can make an unbelievable and wholesale difference in this country and the:TAKE-BACK OF THE REAL AMERICA.Stand up, fight back with peaceful, spiritual weapons, speak out, and be afraid no more of aggressively challenging this hateful, change-or-destroy America, woke and cancel culture generation in which we live. FIGHT BACK AND STAND UP. The loss of freedom is only one generation away and my right-thinking, fellow conservatives and Christians adopt the words of Winston Churchill as your motto for this new stand-up generation:NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit davidlat.substack.comLast month, in honor of LGBTQ Pride Month, I interviewed Alejandra Caraballo, a leading advocate for transgender rights. After that episode, I heard from listeners who asked me to interview someone on the other side. As a passionate advocate of free speech and viewpoint diversity, I agreed that it would be appropriate to do so.My latest podcast guest is Kristen Waggoner, chief executive officer and general counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which describes itself as “one of the leading Christian law firms committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, marriage and family, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.” ADF's opposition to same-sex marriage, transgender rights, and abortion rights has made it a reviled organization on the legal left.Although Kristen isn't popular among progressives, there's no disputing that she is an influential and newsworthy attorney. For better or worse, ADF has won 15 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, and three of them were argued personally by Waggoner—including 303 Creative v. Elenis, one of the biggest cases of the just-completed Term. Writing for the six conservatives, Justice Gorsuch held that the First Amendment protects Kristen's client, website designer Lorie Smith, from being required under Colorado's public-accommodations law to make websites for same-sex weddings, which she opposes on religious grounds.In our interview, I posed tough but respectful questions to Kristen about the mission and legal work of ADF, including its designation as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center; her recent win in 303 Creative, including an allegation that ADF fabricated one piece of evidence (the “Stewart and Mike” controversy); the next major goal of the conservative legal movement, in the wake of wins like 303 Creative and Dobbs; and her views on “legislating morality” or enshrining Christian views into law (where her comments might surprise you). Despite our many differences—e.g., she opposes same-sex marriage, and I'm in one—I enjoyed and learned a great deal from our conversation, and I'm grateful for her time, insight, and willingness to engage.Show Notes:* Kristen Waggoner bio, Alliance Defending Freedom* Inside the Christian legal powerhouse that keeps winning at the Supreme Court, by Jessica Contrera for the Washington Post* Meet the Lawyer Who'll Argue at Supreme Court for Christian Baker's Right to Free Speech, by Ken McIntyre for the Daily Signal* The Supreme Court Doesn't Care That the Gay Wedding Website Case Is Based on Fiction, by Melissa Gira Grant for the New RepublicPrefer reading to listening? For paid subscribers, a transcript of the entire episode appears below.Sponsored by:NexFirm helps Biglaw attorneys become founding partners. To learn more about how NexFirm can help you launch your firm, call 212-292-1000 or email careerdevelopment@nexfirm.com.

There are many conservatives, polls say, who have become QUIET.They fear, these conservatives do, sharing their political and religious beliefs. They fear speaking out and speaking up for fear of cancelled culture retribution. The conservative culture of old has been cancelled and the progressive woke culture rules the day. These new culture majoritarians do not welcome dialogue, much less opposing points of view, and conservatives who entertain such points of view are silenced, threatened, and intimidated to the point, say the polls, where they simply become:QUIET.On college campuses, three out of five employees fear losing their jobs if they mention conservative religious or political points of view at work. Fifty-four percent of those workers and conservative college students say that posting religious or political views on social media could lead to negative consequences in the workplace, including immediate termination.Corporations entertain charitable giving programs, and they seek the opinions and recommendations of employees. But not-so-conservative or Christian employees simply are not accommodated. One such reliable survey was conducted by ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM (ADF) and Jay Hobbs of ADF said:“It puts (woke and progressive priorities) religious and political conservatives in the cross-hairs of cancellation.”As a result of this militant cancel culture philosophy of the liberal, progressive left, conservatives have a legitimate reason to fear being shut out of advancement opportunities, mistreated by coworkers and bosses, and even fired for voicing their beliefs. Consequently, many conservatives go quiet, refusing to exercise their first amendment rights of free speech and the conservative point of view becomes increasingly culture-cancelled moreso each day.This censorship is everywhere and affects everything said one free market spokesperson. Workers and professionals are just simply not allowed to speak out. Have you ever experienced that in your life, where you live and work, and even you yourself, have you? That seems to be the ever-growing effect of WOKE WORKPLACE POLICIES.Robust opinion-sharing and aggressive dialog, protected and encouraged by the first amendment, is anathema in the woke workplace. Conservatives, but not progressives, are admonished to be careful how they express their religious or political points of view so as:NOT TO OFFEND ANOTHER PERSON.That in itself is intimidation, implied threat, a silent demand to KEEP QUIET. It matters not if woke, cancel-culture, progressive ideologies, and workplace, political dialogue offend the conservative, but only that the conservative does not offend the liberal.The survey goes on:“Right now, companies enforce official and unofficial speech and thought codes for their employees which is toxic.”It is critically important to note that not only is speech involved in censorship, but now comes THOUGHT processes as well. A radical woker is determined not only to control and even eliminate free speech but now THOUGHT as well. We sound the alarm, my fellow Americans and Christians though sadly, that warning is far too often ignored or unheeded. But those freedoms once lost are lost forever. The ADF poll went on to find that this new, aggressive, cancel-culture entered the workplace and so much of the rest of life from recent college graduates, motivated and guided by the speech codes which were officially and unofficially enforced on college campuses. They seem, said ADF, on a mission to cancel and silence anything and anyone who may in any way disagree with the new woke, progressive, cancel-culture.And yet another poll, conducted by the FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION (FIRE) found that 88% of four-year colleges and universities now restrict the free expression of their students on campus, to the detriment or even elimination of free speech and first amendment rights. It is just simply amazing how so many of our inalienable rights granted by our constitution, and especially the rights of the first amendment including free speech and press and religion, are simply ignored and in reality, done away with. Have you ever experienced this kind of threat, intimidation, and demand to be silent? If you entertain any kind of conservative or religious points of view, have you?And yet another free speech spokesperson stated the following:“Religion and politics are vital to the soul, our way of living, and our common well-being. People should feel free to discuss these existential matters, with due respect, with family and friends and at work.”And that is so even if the feelings of someone, the sensitivities are agitated and made uncomfortable. That process of robust dialogue and disagreement is absolutely necessary and critical to the growth of the mind, the understanding of the total nature of the issues, and of course the preservation of objectivity, fact, and truth.There is no freedom, no liberty my fellow Americans without free speech, free press, emboldened dialogue, peaceful, non-violent, nonthreatening, but thorough, honest, and open, and always accompanied by the willingness to LISTEN without ignoring, shutting down, or intimidating a confrontational or disagreeing response. America changes daily, right before our eyes, often aggressively, and WE THE PEOPLE slumber, seem unaware, or indifferent and non-caring (A-political), and the America we love and now take for granted slips into uncertainty and change, radical change not for the good. Such a warning seems to come from a voice crying in the wilderness, but the day will come, soon I fear when such a warning will be the new reality. CANCEL-CULTURE WILL HAVE WON THE DAY, and America will be changed forever.Don't let it happen, my fellow citizens, please don't let that happen. Step up, stand up, speak out, and do everything necessary as our founding fathers did to protect and defend the GOD-GIVEN INALIENABLE FREEDOMS OF OUR BELOVED CONSTITUTION AND ITS IRREPLACEABLE FIRST AMENDMENT.THOSE FREEDOMS ONCE LOST ARE LOST FOREVER.

Pantheon Heroes Depart as Platform Faces Backlash for Hosting Hateful Websites In recent weeks, controversy has erupted over website operations platform Pantheon hosting websites for influential anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigration organizations including Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), as reported by ARS Technica. The backlash began on LinkedIn, where several developers and Pantheon supporters voiced their concerns, including customers seeking alternative hosting services and developers known as "Pantheon Heroes" who announced they would stop assisting Pantheon's open source projects and leave the program. Pantheon co-founder Josh Koenig confirmed that the platform would continue hosting the controversial websites, citing their commitment to being an open platform. Despite Pantheon's terms of service prohibiting abusive or offensive content, the company's position on content states that they generally refrain from moderating customer content. Pantheon Heroes, a program launched in 2019, brought together some of the best open-source developers in the world to empower open web development. However, following Pantheon's decision to continue hosting the websites, several developers have quit the Pantheon Heroes program, expressing disappointment and feeling conflicted about supporting the platform. Read more ➝     Summary News for the powerful and privileged: how misrepresentation and underrepresentation of disadvantaged communities undermine their trust in news | Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism Nonprofit group looks to buy most newspapers in Maine | NewsCenterMaine.com House bill would give FTC authority over nonprofit hospitals | Becker's Hospital Review Encouraging Animal Sentience laws around the world  | WAP           

Pantheon Heroes Depart as Platform Faces Backlash for Hosting Hateful Websites In recent weeks, controversy has erupted over website operations platform Pantheon hosting websites for influential anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigration organizations including Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), as reported by ARS Technica. The backlash began on LinkedIn, where several developers and Pantheon supporters voiced their concerns, including customers seeking alternative hosting services and developers known as "Pantheon Heroes" who announced they would stop assisting Pantheon's open source projects and leave the program. Pantheon co-founder Josh Koenig confirmed that the platform would continue hosting the controversial websites, citing their commitment to being an open platform. Despite Pantheon's terms of service prohibiting abusive or offensive content, the company's position on content states that they generally refrain from moderating customer content. Pantheon Heroes, a program launched in 2019, brought together some of the best open-source developers in the world to empower open web development. However, following Pantheon's decision to continue hosting the websites, several developers have quit the Pantheon Heroes program, expressing disappointment and feeling conflicted about supporting the platform. Read more ➝     Summary News for the powerful and privileged: how misrepresentation and underrepresentation of disadvantaged communities undermine their trust in news | Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism Nonprofit group looks to buy most newspapers in Maine | NewsCenterMaine.com House bill would give FTC authority over nonprofit hospitals | Becker's Hospital Review Encouraging Animal Sentience laws around the world  | WAP           

Brad explained the suit brought by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) against the Food & Drug Administration for its approval of the RU486 abortion drug without the required extensive testing that should accompany any new drug. Brad also addressed the FDA's characterization of pregnancy as an "illness" and abortion drugs as a "therapeutic benefit".

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The first hearing in what could be the most consequential abortion case since the overturning of Roe v. Wade is set for this Wednesday, March 15. The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (AHM), along with several other medical organizations and doctors, is suing the Federal Drug Administration for its approval and expansion of the abortion drug mifepristone. On January 3, the FDA changed its policy to allow pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens, to sell mifepristone. Previously, the FDA only allowed certified doctors, clinics, and some mail-order pharmacies to dispense the drug. After the FDA's policy change, any patient with a prescription can obtain mifepristone from her local retail pharmacy. Represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), AHM is alleging that the FDA has been recklessly endangering women and young girls for decades by ignoring its own research and testing standards and continuing to expand its mifepristone approval. The case is being heard by U.S. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk for the Northern District of Texas. A high-stakes case, if Kacsmaryk rules against the FDA, the administration could be forced to rescind its approval of the drug, bringing its legal distribution to a halt across the country, even in states where abortion remains legal. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253858/case-that-could-stop-half-of-us-abortions-set-for-this-wednesday Police are searching for a man who burglarized and vandalized Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Gales Ferry, Connecticut, early Saturday. The Ledyard Police Department reported that the man broke into the church, smashing windows and attempting to break into rooms using a crowbar. The police reported that the man further vandalized the church by painting “hateful” messages on the floor of the church meeting hall with black paint and more “hateful speech” on a wall that displayed a large crucifix. Based on security camera footage from inside the church, police allege the man entered the building at about 1 am Saturday, March 11, and stayed in the building for about two and a half hours. The police believe the man first tried to enter the building by throwing bricks at the front door but was unsuccessful. The police believe the man then walked around the outside of the building and broke windows with bricks, rocks, and religious items before breaking into a window on the north side of the building and entering the church. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253854/police-looking-for-man-who-vandalized-connecticut-catholic-church Today, the Church celebrates Saint Matilda, Queen of Germany and wife of King Henry I was the daughter of Count Dietrich of Westphalia and Reinhild of Denmark. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-matilda-177

In November 2022, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division, against the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on behalf of the Alliance of Hippocratic Medicine (AHM) and others. The suit challenges the FDA's 2000 decision to legalize mifepristone and misoprostol, two drugs often used in conjunction as chemical abortifacients. The petitioners argue that the legalization of these chemical abortion drugs undermines the FDA's legal obligation to protect the health, safety, and welfare of young girls and women. Further, the petitioners allege the FDA disregarded notable evidence that chemical abortion drugs are more likely to cause more harm and complications than a surgical abortion, and terminated the necessary safeguards for pregnant women and girls who undergo this controversial drug regimen. Finally, the petitioners contend that the FDA allowed these chemical abortion pills to be delivered via mail in violation of long-standing federal laws. This Litigation Update with Erik Baptist, a litigating attorney for ADF, will provide a current look at this case, what the facts are, how the case is going, and what the possible outcomes and ramifications thereof may be. Featuring:Erik Baptist, Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom[Moderator] Roger Klein, Faculty Fellow, Center for Law, Science & Innovation, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State UniversityVisit our website – www.RegProject.org – to learn more, view all of our content, and connect with us on social media.

Since the repeal of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the fight for reproductive freedom has increasingly centered on medication abortion. The two pill regimen allows pregnant people to safely terminate pregnancies, with medicine alone. Since the FDA approved one of the medications used, mifepristone, in 2000, the method has grown to now account for 54% of abortions performed nationwide. For that reason, anti-abortion advocates view it as a threat and are looking to take mifepristone off of shelves across in the U.S. That is the goal behind a lawsuit filed in November 2022 by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). The ADF is suing the FDA to rescind its approval of mifepristone. If the suit is successful, it could drastically limit access to medication abortion across the country and force millions of Americans seeking abortions to undergo operations, carry unwanted pregnancies to term, not have access to miscarriage care, and more. This nightmare is already playing out and causing pain and trauma for people who can get pregnant in the 12 states where abortion is banned, and this lawsuit could bring these realities to all 50 states. The stakes are so high. Here to talk with us about this dangerous lawsuit, the importance of mifepristone for reproductive healthcare, and how the ACLU is showing up to preserve reproductive care nationwide is Andy Beck, Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily Newsbrief for Tuesday, December 12th, 2022. I hope you all had a good weekend with you and yours! Now let’s get you caught up on the news: But before we do that: Club Membership Plug: Its Christmas, join our club. During December, the first 75 people to upgrade or join our Gold or Platinum club membership will get our 32OZ Kodiak Christmas water bottle and a free subscription to our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine. By joining the Fight Laugh Feast Army, not only will you be aiding in our fight to take down secular & legacy media; but you’ll also get access to content placed in our Club Portal, such as past shows, all of our conference talks, and EXCLUSIVE content for club members that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Lastly, you’ll also get discounts for our conferences… We don’t have the big money of woke media, and so our club members are crucial in this fight. So, join the movement, join our army, and you can sign up now at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/us-worker-productivity-tanked-year-what-gives US worker productivity has tanked this year. What gives? American workers aren't getting nearly as much done this year as they used to. U.S. labor productivity plunged first quarter in the largest decline since 1947, then dropped by the highest annual amount on record in the second according to the Bureau of Labor Statics. The third quarter data indicates year-over-year output saw three consecutive declines for the first time since 1982. So what is going on? One expert says there are several factors contributing to the drop in productivity, and the problem is likely to persist for some time. Julie Bauke, founder and chief career strategist with The Bauke Group, told FOX Business the decline in output from the current workforce was largely inevitable – COVID just sped it up. In short, she says, "The world of work right now is a mess." The U.S. workforce is stretched thin in this tight labor market – and people are just plain burnt out. For starters, Bauke noted, the pandemic caused many older, seasoned workers to retire early, and the spots left behind by those "boomers" are being filled by an insufficient number of less-experienced workers from younger generations. Not only do Gen X and Gen Z workers lack some of the institutional knowledge as older workers, Bauke says, but they are also less willing to put in the long hours their boomer managers might expect. At the same time, the older workers that remain now tend to be less willing to sacrifice their health or family time to take on loads of extra work. Adding to the problem, month upon month of persistent talent shortages means workers are being asked to do more than just their own job because employers have been unable to fill many open positions. With recession fears growing, the problem is getting even worse. Bauke says the first thing companies do when they are looking at cutting back their workforce is to cancel open positions, and "What message does that send to the people back at work who have been doing two jobs? It says the cavalry is not coming." She argues companies have been pushing their employees to the point that the workers don't care anymore. But, with fewer positions open and a recession looming, workers are scared to leave their jobs out of fear that they would be the first to be laid off if they took a new position elsewhere. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/household-wealth-down-by-13-5-trillion-in-2022-second-worst-destruction-on-record-11670623787?siteid=bullytweet Household wealth dropped by $13.5 trillion from January to September, second-worst destruction on record American households lost about $6.8 trillion in wealth over the first three quarters of 2022 as the stock market shed more than 25% of its value, the Federal Reserve reported Friday in the government’s quarterly financial accounts. Nominal net worth fell 4.6% to $143.3 trillion, as the market value of assets fell by $6 trillion and liabilities rose by about $900 billion. Households’ balance sheets -assets minus liabilities—were propped up by a 10% increase in home equity, which is the greatest source of wealth for most American families. But the loss in real wealth from January through September was about twice as large as the nominal loss — $13.5 trillion in current dollars—after accounting for the rapid inflation experienced this year. Inflation makes both debts and liabilities worth less in terms of purchasing power. The 8.6% drop in real wealth over three quarters is the second-fastest decline on record (the data series begins in 1959). The only greater drop was following the financial crisis of 2008-09. (The wealth lost during the Great Depression of the 1930s would likely hold the record if we had the data.) Even after adjusting for inflation, real household wealth was about 10% higher than it was in late 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Household balance sheets—in the aggregate—remained in excellent shape despite the losses on Wall Street and the erosion of purchasing power. Wealth as a share of annual disposable (after-tax) personal income slipped slightly to 769%, not far off the record 825% in the first quarter of the year. At $18.8 trillion, liabilities were just 103% of annual disposable incomes, far below the peak of 136% seen in 2008, just as that housing bubble burst. In real terms, liabilities are lower today than they were back then, despite the much larger economy. Homeowners, in particular, were in good shape financially as September ended, with the equity in their houses rising to a near-record 70.5% of market value from a record low of 46% in 2012. But if home prices continue to fall as they have done in the past several months, homeowners without much exposure to the stock market will begin to feel poorer. What will happen to home prices as mortgage rates rise is a major unknown facing policy makers and homeowners alike. Warning signs are also flashing as household debt has awakened, like Rip Van Winkle, after a 10-year nap. Following a decade of no growth in debt in inflation-adjusted terms, real household debt grew at a 4.3% annual rate in the third quarter, the fastest growth since 2007. https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-disgraced-loudon-county-school-superintendent-incited-for-cover-up-in-student-rape-case-inquiry?utm_campaign=64487 Disgraced Loudon County school superintendent indicted for cover-up in student rape case inquiry Documents unsealed on Monday have revealed that a special grand jury in Loudon County, Virginia has indicted former superintendent of schools Scott Ziegler for his role in the handling of student sexual assault cases in the county's schools. According to LoudonNow, the jury has issued four indictments against two Loudon County Public Schools officials, with the indictments being unsealed on Monday by a county judge. Ziegler has been indicted on one count of false publication, one count of prohibited conduct, and one count of penalizing an employee for a court appearance, all of which are misdemeanors. Public Information Officer Wayde Byard was indicted on one count of felony perjury, which reportedly carries a maximum sentence of up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. The special grand jury, which was assembled in April by the Office of the Attorney General’s Office to investigate the handling of two sexual assaults carried out by the same student at two separate schools in 2021, released their report last week regarding the investigation. Ziegler was fired the following day during a closed-door meeting with the Loudon County School Board. In their report, the jury stated that "we believe that throughout this ordeal LCPS administrators were looking out for their own interests instead of the best interests of LCPS." On May 28, 2021, a girl was sexually assaulted in the women's bathroom at Stone Bridge High School by a male student. This student was temporarily detained in July of 2021, but was released and transferred to another school within the district. Then on October 6, another sexual assault by that same student took place at Broad Run High School. "We believe that throughout this ordeal LCPS administrators were looking out for their own interests instead of the best interests of LCPS. This invariably led to a stunning lack of openness, transparency, and accountability both to the public and the special grand jury. There were several decision points for senior LCPS administrators, up to and including the superintendent, to be transparent and step in and alter the sequence of events leading up to the October 6, 2021 BRHS sexual assault. They failed at every juncture," the report said. Classical Conversations Classical Conversations supports homeschooling parents by cultivating the love of learning through a Christian worldview in fellowship with other families. They provide a classical Christ-centered curriculum, local like-minded communities across the United States and in several countries, and they train parents who are striving to be great classical educators in the home. For more information and to get connected, please visit their website at ClassicalConversations.com. Again that’s ClassicalConversations.com. https://www.theepochtimes.com/university-of-idaho-settles-christian-students-lawsuit_4916703.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport University of Idaho Settles Christian Students’ Lawsuit Three Christian students and a faculty member have settled a lawsuit against the University of Idaho that acted to limit their freedom of religious speech. The lawsuit, filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys in April, blamed university officials for targeting the students’ First Amendment rights by punishing them for their religious speech. The university had issued no-contact orders on students—Peter Perlot, Mark Miller, and Ryan Alexander, who are members of the university’s Christian Legal Society (CLS) chapter—as well as CLS faculty advisor Professor Richard Seamon. In the settlement, the university rescinded the no-contact orders and agreed to pay $90,000. Following the settlement, CLS attorney Laura Nammo criticized university officials for censoring differing viewpoints as it “needlessly exacerbates polarization and harms all students’ ability to learn from one another,” according to ADF Media. “Today’s university students will be tomorrow’s leaders, judges, and school administrators, so it’s imperative that university officials model the First Amendment freedoms they are supposed to be teaching their students,” said ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom. The conflict which triggered the lawsuit occurred during spring. The University’s College of Law held a public event on the campus in Moscow, Idaho, to condemn an anti-LGBTQ slur that was found on a whiteboard at the Boise campus. The event was attended by members of the CLS who also prayed publicly. The members follow a code that classified non-heterosexual marriage as immoral. One university student, referred to as Ms. Doe in court documents, questioned the presence of CLS at the event, pointing to the group’s stance on LGBTQ. The attorneys representing CLS students claim that they had responded respectfully, presenting their beliefs as per their Biblical interpretation. But lawyers representing the university claimed that a CLS member would keep on insisting LGBTQ students will go to the “gallows of hell” if they fail to “repent for their sins,” according to AP. Seamon is accused of having reinforced such statements. This caused Ms. Doe to be in tears, the university says. Ms. Doe is then said to have received a note from another CLS member on her desk, asking for a discussion on the matter so that both sides can understand each other’s views. She later complained to officials that the contact made her feel harassed and uncomfortable, asking that no-contact orders against everyone, including herself, be issued so that she can feel safe. At a panel with the American Bar Association, several people publicly denounced CLS’ religious beliefs. One of the CLS students who attended the meeting claimed that it was his organization and its beliefs that faced the greatest amount of discrimination. When no-contact orders were issued against CLS students, they were given no opportunity to defend themselves or review the allegations leveled against them. CLS members eventually sued the University. In July, a federal judge asked the university to rescind the orders, pointing out that Ms. Doe has not alleged any sexual harassment. The judge also noted that CLS students would likely succeed in arguing that the university was suppressing their First Amendment rights.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily Newsbrief for Tuesday, December 12th, 2022. I hope you all had a good weekend with you and yours! Now let’s get you caught up on the news: But before we do that: Club Membership Plug: Its Christmas, join our club. During December, the first 75 people to upgrade or join our Gold or Platinum club membership will get our 32OZ Kodiak Christmas water bottle and a free subscription to our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine. By joining the Fight Laugh Feast Army, not only will you be aiding in our fight to take down secular & legacy media; but you’ll also get access to content placed in our Club Portal, such as past shows, all of our conference talks, and EXCLUSIVE content for club members that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Lastly, you’ll also get discounts for our conferences… We don’t have the big money of woke media, and so our club members are crucial in this fight. So, join the movement, join our army, and you can sign up now at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/us-worker-productivity-tanked-year-what-gives US worker productivity has tanked this year. What gives? American workers aren't getting nearly as much done this year as they used to. U.S. labor productivity plunged first quarter in the largest decline since 1947, then dropped by the highest annual amount on record in the second according to the Bureau of Labor Statics. The third quarter data indicates year-over-year output saw three consecutive declines for the first time since 1982. So what is going on? One expert says there are several factors contributing to the drop in productivity, and the problem is likely to persist for some time. Julie Bauke, founder and chief career strategist with The Bauke Group, told FOX Business the decline in output from the current workforce was largely inevitable – COVID just sped it up. In short, she says, "The world of work right now is a mess." The U.S. workforce is stretched thin in this tight labor market – and people are just plain burnt out. For starters, Bauke noted, the pandemic caused many older, seasoned workers to retire early, and the spots left behind by those "boomers" are being filled by an insufficient number of less-experienced workers from younger generations. Not only do Gen X and Gen Z workers lack some of the institutional knowledge as older workers, Bauke says, but they are also less willing to put in the long hours their boomer managers might expect. At the same time, the older workers that remain now tend to be less willing to sacrifice their health or family time to take on loads of extra work. Adding to the problem, month upon month of persistent talent shortages means workers are being asked to do more than just their own job because employers have been unable to fill many open positions. With recession fears growing, the problem is getting even worse. Bauke says the first thing companies do when they are looking at cutting back their workforce is to cancel open positions, and "What message does that send to the people back at work who have been doing two jobs? It says the cavalry is not coming." She argues companies have been pushing their employees to the point that the workers don't care anymore. But, with fewer positions open and a recession looming, workers are scared to leave their jobs out of fear that they would be the first to be laid off if they took a new position elsewhere. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/household-wealth-down-by-13-5-trillion-in-2022-second-worst-destruction-on-record-11670623787?siteid=bullytweet Household wealth dropped by $13.5 trillion from January to September, second-worst destruction on record American households lost about $6.8 trillion in wealth over the first three quarters of 2022 as the stock market shed more than 25% of its value, the Federal Reserve reported Friday in the government’s quarterly financial accounts. Nominal net worth fell 4.6% to $143.3 trillion, as the market value of assets fell by $6 trillion and liabilities rose by about $900 billion. Households’ balance sheets -assets minus liabilities—were propped up by a 10% increase in home equity, which is the greatest source of wealth for most American families. But the loss in real wealth from January through September was about twice as large as the nominal loss — $13.5 trillion in current dollars—after accounting for the rapid inflation experienced this year. Inflation makes both debts and liabilities worth less in terms of purchasing power. The 8.6% drop in real wealth over three quarters is the second-fastest decline on record (the data series begins in 1959). The only greater drop was following the financial crisis of 2008-09. (The wealth lost during the Great Depression of the 1930s would likely hold the record if we had the data.) Even after adjusting for inflation, real household wealth was about 10% higher than it was in late 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Household balance sheets—in the aggregate—remained in excellent shape despite the losses on Wall Street and the erosion of purchasing power. Wealth as a share of annual disposable (after-tax) personal income slipped slightly to 769%, not far off the record 825% in the first quarter of the year. At $18.8 trillion, liabilities were just 103% of annual disposable incomes, far below the peak of 136% seen in 2008, just as that housing bubble burst. In real terms, liabilities are lower today than they were back then, despite the much larger economy. Homeowners, in particular, were in good shape financially as September ended, with the equity in their houses rising to a near-record 70.5% of market value from a record low of 46% in 2012. But if home prices continue to fall as they have done in the past several months, homeowners without much exposure to the stock market will begin to feel poorer. What will happen to home prices as mortgage rates rise is a major unknown facing policy makers and homeowners alike. Warning signs are also flashing as household debt has awakened, like Rip Van Winkle, after a 10-year nap. Following a decade of no growth in debt in inflation-adjusted terms, real household debt grew at a 4.3% annual rate in the third quarter, the fastest growth since 2007. https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-disgraced-loudon-county-school-superintendent-incited-for-cover-up-in-student-rape-case-inquiry?utm_campaign=64487 Disgraced Loudon County school superintendent indicted for cover-up in student rape case inquiry Documents unsealed on Monday have revealed that a special grand jury in Loudon County, Virginia has indicted former superintendent of schools Scott Ziegler for his role in the handling of student sexual assault cases in the county's schools. According to LoudonNow, the jury has issued four indictments against two Loudon County Public Schools officials, with the indictments being unsealed on Monday by a county judge. Ziegler has been indicted on one count of false publication, one count of prohibited conduct, and one count of penalizing an employee for a court appearance, all of which are misdemeanors. Public Information Officer Wayde Byard was indicted on one count of felony perjury, which reportedly carries a maximum sentence of up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. The special grand jury, which was assembled in April by the Office of the Attorney General’s Office to investigate the handling of two sexual assaults carried out by the same student at two separate schools in 2021, released their report last week regarding the investigation. Ziegler was fired the following day during a closed-door meeting with the Loudon County School Board. In their report, the jury stated that "we believe that throughout this ordeal LCPS administrators were looking out for their own interests instead of the best interests of LCPS." On May 28, 2021, a girl was sexually assaulted in the women's bathroom at Stone Bridge High School by a male student. This student was temporarily detained in July of 2021, but was released and transferred to another school within the district. Then on October 6, another sexual assault by that same student took place at Broad Run High School. "We believe that throughout this ordeal LCPS administrators were looking out for their own interests instead of the best interests of LCPS. This invariably led to a stunning lack of openness, transparency, and accountability both to the public and the special grand jury. There were several decision points for senior LCPS administrators, up to and including the superintendent, to be transparent and step in and alter the sequence of events leading up to the October 6, 2021 BRHS sexual assault. They failed at every juncture," the report said. Classical Conversations Classical Conversations supports homeschooling parents by cultivating the love of learning through a Christian worldview in fellowship with other families. They provide a classical Christ-centered curriculum, local like-minded communities across the United States and in several countries, and they train parents who are striving to be great classical educators in the home. For more information and to get connected, please visit their website at ClassicalConversations.com. Again that’s ClassicalConversations.com. https://www.theepochtimes.com/university-of-idaho-settles-christian-students-lawsuit_4916703.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport University of Idaho Settles Christian Students’ Lawsuit Three Christian students and a faculty member have settled a lawsuit against the University of Idaho that acted to limit their freedom of religious speech. The lawsuit, filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys in April, blamed university officials for targeting the students’ First Amendment rights by punishing them for their religious speech. The university had issued no-contact orders on students—Peter Perlot, Mark Miller, and Ryan Alexander, who are members of the university’s Christian Legal Society (CLS) chapter—as well as CLS faculty advisor Professor Richard Seamon. In the settlement, the university rescinded the no-contact orders and agreed to pay $90,000. Following the settlement, CLS attorney Laura Nammo criticized university officials for censoring differing viewpoints as it “needlessly exacerbates polarization and harms all students’ ability to learn from one another,” according to ADF Media. “Today’s university students will be tomorrow’s leaders, judges, and school administrators, so it’s imperative that university officials model the First Amendment freedoms they are supposed to be teaching their students,” said ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom. The conflict which triggered the lawsuit occurred during spring. The University’s College of Law held a public event on the campus in Moscow, Idaho, to condemn an anti-LGBTQ slur that was found on a whiteboard at the Boise campus. The event was attended by members of the CLS who also prayed publicly. The members follow a code that classified non-heterosexual marriage as immoral. One university student, referred to as Ms. Doe in court documents, questioned the presence of CLS at the event, pointing to the group’s stance on LGBTQ. The attorneys representing CLS students claim that they had responded respectfully, presenting their beliefs as per their Biblical interpretation. But lawyers representing the university claimed that a CLS member would keep on insisting LGBTQ students will go to the “gallows of hell” if they fail to “repent for their sins,” according to AP. Seamon is accused of having reinforced such statements. This caused Ms. Doe to be in tears, the university says. Ms. Doe is then said to have received a note from another CLS member on her desk, asking for a discussion on the matter so that both sides can understand each other’s views. She later complained to officials that the contact made her feel harassed and uncomfortable, asking that no-contact orders against everyone, including herself, be issued so that she can feel safe. At a panel with the American Bar Association, several people publicly denounced CLS’ religious beliefs. One of the CLS students who attended the meeting claimed that it was his organization and its beliefs that faced the greatest amount of discrimination. When no-contact orders were issued against CLS students, they were given no opportunity to defend themselves or review the allegations leveled against them. CLS members eventually sued the University. In July, a federal judge asked the university to rescind the orders, pointing out that Ms. Doe has not alleged any sexual harassment. The judge also noted that CLS students would likely succeed in arguing that the university was suppressing their First Amendment rights.

Carl's interview w/attorney Matt Sharp of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) about their case currently being heard in the Supreme Court. Lorie Smith is the owner of “303 Creative,” a website design company in Colorado. Much like Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, the state wants to FORCE Lorie to create websites that are inconsistent with her faith. If the state wins, this is the end of free speech in America as we know it. Carl & Matt also discuss the ramifications of the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” and the huge implications it will have determining if religious liberty will continue in America.Other topics include:1) Senator Kyrsten Sinema leaves the Democratic Party; 2) Bari Weiss drops Part 2 of the Twitter files exposing that the executives at Twitter did knowingly “shadow ban” conservatives; and 3 more fallout from Biden's stupid, weak and pandering decision to swap WNBA star Brittney Griner for the “Merchant of Death,” arms dealer, Viktor Bout. More: www.TheCarljacksonshow.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carljacksonradio Twitter: https://twitter.com/carljacksonshow Parler: https://parler.com/carljacksonshow http://www.TheCarlJacksonPodcast.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carl's interview w/attorney Matt Sharp of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) about their case currently being heard in the Supreme Court. Lorie Smith is the owner of “303 Creative,” a website design company in Colorado. Much like Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, the state wants to FORCE Lorie to create websites that are inconsistent with her faith. If the state wins, this is the end of free speech in America as we know it. Carl & Matt also discuss the ramifications of the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” and the huge implications it will have determining if religious liberty will continue in America.Other topics include:1) Senator Kyrsten Sinema leaves the Democratic Party; 2) Bari Weiss drops Part 2 of the Twitter files exposing that the executives at Twitter did knowingly “shadow ban” conservatives; and 3 more fallout from Biden's stupid, weak and pandering decision to swap WNBA star Brittney Griner for the “Merchant of Death,” arms dealer, Viktor Bout. More: www.TheCarljacksonshow.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carljacksonradio Twitter: https://twitter.com/carljacksonshow Parler: https://parler.com/carljacksonshow http://www.TheCarlJacksonPodcast.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Hugh Hewitt talks with Kristen Waggoner, CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), about her arguments before the Supreme Court in 303 Creative v. Elenis, where Lorie Smith, a graphic and website designer, is challenging a Colorado law that would require her to create designs that violate her beliefs about marriage.

Matt Sharp, senior counsel at  Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), joined WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" radio program on Monday about their case before the Supreme Court on Monday, Dec. 5 (today) about Lorie Smith, 303 Creative business owner and graphic artist who wants to create custom-designed wedding websites that align with her deeply held religious beliefs. About case: https://adflegal.org/article/when-will-it-stop-colorado-censors-web-designer-working-according-her-religious-convictions?sourcecode=10025345_r200&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc For more coverage on the issues that matter to you, visit www.WMAL.com, download the WMAL app or tune in live on WMAL-FM 105.9 FM from 5-9 AM ET. To join the conversation, check us out on Twitter: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor,  @Jgunlock,  @patricepinkfile and @heatherhunterdc.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Narrative podcast is back this week for Election Palooza with CCV President Aaron Baer and Policy Director David Mahan. The Midterm Election has come and gone, and the guys have hot takes to share. Tune in to get their perspective on election results in Ohio and across the nation, as well as what they could mean for abortion and other pressing issues over the next few years.    Afterwards, they're joined by Jake Warner, Senior Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), to discuss the context of the upcoming 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis Supreme Court case that will answer the question, Can the government force an artist to say something that they don't believe?   Colorado law would force Lorie Smith, owner of 303 Creative, to use her artistic web design skills to speak messages celebrating same-sex weddings. With the help of ADF attorneys, Lorie decided to challenge the law in court.   Learn more about Lorie's case here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak today with Samuel D. Green, President & General Counsel of Reason for Life. Reason for Life encourages, equips, and educates Christian leaders who are hesitant to address abortion, helping them see that sharing the truth about this subject is both essential and loving. Before founding Reason for Life, Samuel spent five years at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), where he engaged in litigation to defend the sanctity of life, freedom of speech, and religious liberty. Samuel has also worked as a litigation associate at a large law firm (Jenner & Block), as a member of a presidential campaign's legal team, and as a law clerk to the Honorable Raymond W. Gruender of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Samuel finished first in his class at Pepperdine University School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree in 2011. He also studied political science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he graduated, summa cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2008. Samuel has provided legislative testimony, preached sermons about the sanctity of life, and given presentations across the country to various groups or their chapters (including Students for Life of America, 40 Days for Life, Summit Ministries, Teen Pact Leadership Schools, the Federalist Society, and the St. Thomas More Society). Samuel has also participated in media interviews and published articles with various outlets, including Newsweek, The Seattle Times, The Hill, Washington Examiner, The Federalist, and The Daily Signal. Additionally, Samuel authored a legal brief in the historic Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade. Reason for Life: Changing Hearts, Saving Lives https://reasonforlife.org

In Today's episode of "Moment of Truth," Saurabh and Nick sit down with Erin Morrow Hawley, Senior Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and a former law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts, to discuss the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, ADF's role in crafting the Mississippi legislation in question, the legal battle leading to the Supreme Court, the infamous leak, and the future of the Pro-Life Movement.Erin Morrow Hawley is a former law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts and Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Hawley received her bachelor's degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M University and her law degree from Yale Law School where she served as a Coker Fellow in Constitutional Law and on the Yale Law Journal. Hawley is an active member of the Missouri and District of Columbia bars and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and various federal courts of appeals.Learn more about Erin Morrow Hawley's work:https://adflegal.org/biography/erin-morrow-hawleyhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-living-with-josh-and-erin-hawley/id1591145673––––––Follow American Moment across Social Media:Twitter – https://twitter.com/AmMomentOrgFacebook – https://www.facebook.com/AmMomentOrgInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/ammomentorg/YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4qmB5DeiFxt53ZPZiW4TcgRumble – https://rumble.com/c/c-695775Check out AmCanon:https://www.americanmoment.org/amcanon/Follow Us on Twitter:Saurabh Sharma – https://twitter.com/ssharmaUSNick Solheim – https://twitter.com/NickSSolheimAmerican Moment's "Moment of Truth" Podcast is recorded at the Conservative Partnership Center in Washington DC, produced by American Moment Studios, and edited by Jared Cummings.Subscribe to our Podcast, "Moment of Truth"Get our Cancelproof RSS – https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/moment-of-truthACast – https://shows.acast.com/moment-of-truthApple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moment-of-truth/id1555257529Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/5ATl0x7nKDX0vVoGrGNhAj Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.