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To recuse or refuse? A look at Supreme Court justices’ decisions on whether to step aside in cases
Read full article: To recuse or refuse? A look at Supreme Court justices’ decisions on whether to step aside in casesIn declining to step aside from two high-profile Supreme Court cases, Justice Samuel Alito has provided a rare window on the opaque process by which justices decide to recuse themselves.
Second flag carried by Jan. 6 rioters displayed outside house owned by Justice Alito, report says
Read full article: Second flag carried by Jan. 6 rioters displayed outside house owned by Justice Alito, report saysA second flag of a type carried by rioters during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was displayed outside a house owned by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.
Upside-down flag at Justice Alito's home another blow for Supreme Court under fire
Read full article: Upside-down flag at Justice Alito's home another blow for Supreme Court under fireWhen an upside-down U.S. flag flew over the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in January 2021, it was largely seen in connection with the false claim by then-President Donald Trump’s supporters that the 2020 election had been marred by fraud.
Justice Alito's home flew a US flag upside down after Trump's 'Stop the Steal' claims, a report says
Read full article: Justice Alito's home flew a US flag upside down after Trump's 'Stop the Steal' claims, a report saysDemocratic Sen. Dick Durbin says Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito should recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 election and the 2021 Capitol insurrection after a report about an upside-down American flag outside his home.
Lyft drivers spread the Gospel with ride-hailing ministries
Read full article: Lyft drivers spread the Gospel with ride-hailing ministriesPastor Kenneth Drayton and Tomika Reid try to inspire passengers through spiritual guidance on the road as part of what they see as Christian ride-hailing ministries.
Amid crises, rural roots anchor Southern Baptists’ president
Read full article: Amid crises, rural roots anchor Southern Baptists’ presidentThe new president of the Southern Baptist Convention is a staunchly conservative small-town preacher who touts biblical inerrancy, opposes women serving as pastors and supports abortion bans.
Cruel or harmless? Pastors mixed on GOP migrant transports
Read full article: Cruel or harmless? Pastors mixed on GOP migrant transportsAs Republican governors ramp up their transports of migrants to Democratic-run jurisdictions, the practice is getting a mixed reaction from Christian faith leaders — many of whom, especially evangelicals, have supported GOP candidates by large numbers in recent elections.
Chris Cuomo's off-air role: Brother Andrew's strategist
Read full article: Chris Cuomo's off-air role: Brother Andrew's strategistTranscripts released Monday shed new light on how CNN anchor Chris Cuomo than previously known in helping defend his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, from sexual harassment allegations that forced him out of office.
Jim Bakker, his church settle lawsuit over COVID-19 claims
Read full article: Jim Bakker, his church settle lawsuit over COVID-19 claimsJim Bakker and his southwestern Missouri church will pay restitution of $156,000 to settle a lawsuit that accused the TV pastor of falsely claiming that a health supplement could cure COVID-19.
‘Minari’ actor is nonchalant about new fame outside S. Korea
Read full article: ‘Minari’ actor is nonchalant about new fame outside S. Korea(Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)SEOUL – When Youn Yuh-jung was asked how she felt about being called the “Meryl Streep of South Korea" in a recent interview, she said she’s flattered by the comparison. “I am just a Korean actress in Korea,” 73-year-old actor said. So I like to be myself.”Youn needs no introduction in South Korea, with a film career spanning over five decades. Youn lived in the U.S. for nearly a decade, not performing, before returning to South Korea, where she split from Cho and returned to acting. AdShe said the U.S. was considered a “dream land” by Asian American immigrants in the 1970s and '80s, when “Minari” is set.
International evangelical pastor Luis Palau dies at 86
Read full article: International evangelical pastor Luis Palau dies at 86(AP Photo/Marianne Armshaw, File)PORTLAND, Ore. – Luis Palau, an evangelical pastor who was born in Argentina and went on to work with Billy Graham before establishing his own powerhouse international ministry, died Thursday. The Luis Palau Association said he died at his home in Portland, Oregon. His radio programs, including the international Spanish-language “Luis Palau Responde,” are broadcast on 3,500 stations in 48 countries and his Portland, Oregon-based organization, the Luis Palau Association, organizes dozens of events each year on five continents. Palau began an international Spanish-language radio program called “Luis Palau Responde” in Colombia and throughout the 1970s, he gave sermons in Latin American. In 1978, Palau incorporated his ministry as the Luis Palau Association in Portland, Oregon, and later set an attendance record at the city’s enormous waterfront park during an evangelist event.
President Biden pays respects to officer who died defending Capitol
Read full article: President Biden pays respects to officer who died defending CapitolPresident Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden pay their respects to the late U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick as an urn with his cremated remains lies in honor on a black-draped table at center of Capitol Rotunda, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Washington. Sicknick died after an insurrectionist mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, interrupting the electoral count after then-President Donald Trump urged them to “fight like hell” to overturn his defeat. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sicknick was a patriot who will be remembered by lawmakers each day as they enter the Capitol. The 42-year-old officer was only the fifth person to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, a designation for those who are not elected officials, judges or military leaders. Also in attendance was Wenling Chestnut, widow of slain Capitol Police Officer Jacob Chestnut, one of two Capitol Police officers killed by a gunman in 1998.
Crowds flow into Magic Kingdom’s Hall of Presidents on final days of Trump’s presidency
Read full article: Crowds flow into Magic Kingdom’s Hall of Presidents on final days of Trump’s presidencyORLANDO, Fla. – As President-elect Joe Biden awaits his swearing-in, Walt Disney World fans wait for word on when he’ll join the POTUS parade at Magic Kingdom’s Hall of Presidents. While attendance-wise the Hall of Presidents is not one of Magic Kingdom’s most sought-after experiences, guests for the showing starting just after 3 p.m. filled available spots in the theater. Early on in Trump’s presidency, just as with his predecessor, Barack Obama, boos could be heard as his audio-animatronic figure spoke. Until 1993, Abraham Lincoln was the only “talking” POTUS at the Hall; current presidents have had that role since Bill Clinton was elected. Price remains a fan of the Hall, she said, and was happy to share the return visit with her family.
Religious right eyes Biden warily after Trump's good favor
Read full article: Religious right eyes Biden warily after Trump's good favorAs his administration draws to a close, some of those backers are approaching President-elect Joe Biden with skepticism, but not antagonism. During the Obama administration, Graham attended a conversation Biden convened among faith-based advocates about gun legislation. However, some groups such as Perkins' may find occasional opportunities to work with the Biden administration even while remaining critical of it in their messaging to members and fundraising, according to evangelical writer and analyst Napp Nazworth. Meanwhile, evangelicals outside those most closely associated with Trump already are identifying commonalities where they could partner with Biden. The Trump administration had slashed the refugee target to historic lows.
As Trump faces uncertain future, so do his signature rallies
Read full article: As Trump faces uncertain future, so do his signature ralliesAs President Donald Trump faces an uncertain future, so too does a fixture of the American political scene over the last five years: the Trump campaign rally, a phenomenon that has spawned friendships, businesses and a way of life for Trump’s most dedicated supporters. She has been to nearly 20 Trump events, from rallies to Fourth of July celebrations on the National Mall. Indeed, the Trump campaign estimates the events have generated tens of millions of dollars a week in free television coverage. George Gigicos, who ran Trump’s 2016 advance operation, said the rallies "were hugely important” to Trump's campaigns and presidency. Sociologist Arlie Hochschild, who has been studying Trump supporters, agreed that he had tapped into religious imagery that secular liberals often missed.
Moving the flip zone: Democrats march deeper into suburbia
Read full article: Moving the flip zone: Democrats march deeper into suburbiaA purple ring — call it the flip zone — emerges through the suburbs. But the midterm elections of 2018 showed that the flip zone has moved in the era of President Donald Trump, with dramatic consequences. To hold the White House and control of the Senate, he and his party must stop the flip zone from moving farther out again. In 2018 in Milwaukee, the flip zone moved out less than half a mile as Wisconsin elected a Democratic governor. — In Atlanta, the flip zone was nearly 24 miles out, at 434 households per square mile.
'Fighting for you': First lady makes her case for Trump vote
Read full article: 'Fighting for you': First lady makes her case for Trump voteIn my husband, you have a president who will not stop fighting for you and your families, said Mrs. Trump, an immigrant herself. Mrs. Trump noted that the lives of Americans changed drastically in March with the onset of the coronavirus. President Trump is fighting for all of us. President Trump has put his America First vision into action," Pompeo said. Only the second foreign-born first lady in U.S. history, Mrs. Trump, 50, is a native of Slovenia, a former communist country in eastern Europe.
Jim Bakker gets PPP loans during legal fight on fraud claims
Read full article: Jim Bakker gets PPP loans during legal fight on fraud claimsFILE - In this Friday, March 2, 2018 file photo, televangelist Jim Bakker leaves a funeral service for the Rev. Applicants seeking PPP loans were asked to certify they werent engaged in any activity that is illegal under federal, state or local law. Bakkers co-counsel is Jay Nixon, a former four-term Missouri attorney general and two-term Democratic governor. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge pushes back on framing the lawsuit as a religious freedom infringement. Dont let me have to file for bankruptcy.A week later, Arvest Bank, as the lender, released three PPP loans to Bakkers church management, production and retreat entities.
Virus loans helped entities tied to Trump evangelical allies
Read full article: Virus loans helped entities tied to Trump evangelical alliesVice President Mike Pence, left, greets Senior Pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress, right, after Pence spoke at the Southern Baptist megachurch First Baptist Dallas during a Celebrate Freedom Rally in Dallas, Sunday, June 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Virus loans helped entities tied to Trump evangelical allies
Read full article: Virus loans helped entities tied to Trump evangelical allies(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)NEW YORK Churches connected to President Donald Trump and other organizations linked to current or former Trump evangelical advisers received at least $17.3 million in loans from a federal rescue package designed to aid small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. Graham, whose megachurch claims more than 42,000 members, is not related to Trump evangelical adviser Franklin Graham, son of the late Rev. Other program beneficiaries connected to veteran evangelical Trump allies include The Faith & Freedom Coalition, founded by conservative strategist Ralph Reed, which got a loan of between $150,000 and $350,000. King Jesus International Ministry, the Miami megachurch where Trump launched his evangelical outreach push ahead of Novembers election, received a loan of between $2 million and $5 million according to the data. That church's pastor, Guillermo Maldonado, was also among a group of faith leaders who met and prayed with Trump at the White House last fall.
Amid furor over monuments, Trump call for garden of statues
Read full article: Amid furor over monuments, Trump call for garden of statuesFILE - In this Nov. 6, 2014, file photo Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia speaks in Washington. The president unveiled his plan Friday, July 3, 2020, during his speech at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, S.D. We will raise the next generation of American patriots, Trump said at Mount Rushmore. None will have lived perfect lives, but all will be worth honoring, remembering, and studying, according to the order. The order includes language to make clear that non-U.S. citizens who played significant roles in American history also could be honored in the garden.