“The U.S. Supreme Court appeared inclined to rule in favor of Christian and Muslim parents in Maryland seeking to keep their elementary school children out of certain classes when storybooks with LGBT characters are read in the latest case involving the intersection of religion and LGBT rights. The nine justices heard arguments on Tuesday in an appeal by parents with children in public schools in Montgomery County, located just outside of Washington, after lower courts declined to order the local school district to let children opt out when these books are read. The parents — who include Muslim, Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox plaintiffs — contend that the school board’s policy of prohibiting opt-outs violates the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment protections for free exercise of religion.” [editor’s note: What if their religion forbids, say, math? – TLK] (04/22/25)
“This year’s global celebration of Earth Day on April 22 had both sadness and celebration hanging over it. The sadness was that one of the world’s religious leaders who helped put a spiritual dimension into climate activism, Pope Francis, died on Monday. Among the many celebratory tributes to him was widespread praise for his missives citing a love of God and others – rather than fear – as the basis for stewardship of Earth’s atmosphere. Just days before his death, another fellow global church leader was celebrated. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of 300 million Eastern Orthodox Christians, won this year’s Templeton Prize. He was cited for his decades of work in promoting ‘a compelling moral and theological vision of humanity’s responsibility to care for the Earth,’ as the John Templeton Foundation put it.” (04/22/25)
“Under the guise of efficiency, the Trump administration is taking a sledgehammer to essential programs and agencies that are the backbone of America’s civilian government. The virtual elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and plans to shut down the Department of Education are just the most visible examples of a campaign that includes layoffs of budget experts, public health officials, scientists, and other critical personnel whose work undergirds the daily operations of government and provides the basic services needed by businesses, families, and individuals alike. Many of those services can make the difference between solvency and poverty, health and illness, or even, in some cases, life and death for vulnerable populations. The speed with which civilian programs and agencies are being slashed in the second Trump era gives away the true purpose of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).” (04/22/25)
“Kilmar Abrego Garcia shouldn’t be in a prison in El Salvador, but he also never should have been in the United States — or given relief from deportation. The White House is trying to make the alleged MS-13 gang member a symbol of illegal-immigrant [sic] crime, while President Trump’s opposition is seeking to make ‘the Maryland man’ a symbol of the administration’s disregard for due process. What has gotten less attention is that his case is an example of the self-defeating absurdities of our immigration system and, in particular, how it hands out ‘humanitarian protection.’ When Abrego Garcia avoided deportation back in 2019, he didn’t take advantage of asylum — which has been a key driver of the immigration crisis — but something called ‘withholding of removal.'” (04/22/25)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“If you believe that all the violence and destruction in Gaza is the fault of Hamas, then by your own logic you must also accept that the coming wave of violent extremism and antisemitism which is going to ensue from the incineration of Gaza will exclusively be the fault of Israel. I said this on Twitter the other day and Israel supporters got outraged and shared screenshots of my post shrieking with indignation that anyone would say such a thing, which is funny because I’m just reading their own line of reasoning back to them. I’m not the one who says an act of violence excuses any violence done in response to it.” (04/22/25)
“Minnesota Department of Human Services data analyst Dylan Bryan Adams will likely not face charges for allegedly vandalizing at least six Tesla vehicles, causing a total of $20,000 in damages. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) said it would seek ‘diversion’ over charges. ‘Our main priorities are to secure restitution for the victims and hold Mr. Adams accountable. As a result, we will file for pre-charge diversion to best facilitate both of those goals,’ HCAO spokesperson Daniel Borgertpoepping said, according to Fox 9 Minneapolis. However, he also reportedly said that criminal consequences would be on the table ‘should unlawful behavior continue.’ Pre-charge diversion allows individuals accused of committing crimes to avoid prosecution by participating in a program. Minneapolis police are allegedly unhappy with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office’s decision not to seek criminal charges in this case.” (04/22/25)
“When race is the only lens, it blinds us to due process and justice. Those screaming the loudest and strutting like cocks on social media are not trying to heal. They’re hustling in the tradition of Al Sharpton. All because, in today’s culture, the race card is still too valuable to put down. When a black teenager stabbed a white teenager at a recent Texas high school track meet, it was not long before Americans online predictably turned this into a racial controversy — even before the facts were known.” (04/22/25)
“Three more federal prosecutors who had been involved in the now-dismissed corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams resigned on Tuesday, saying they felt pressured into admitting wrongdoing or regret as a condition for being reinstated to their jobs. ‘We will not confess wrongdoing when there was none,’ Celia Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach and Derek Wikstrom wrote in a letter to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The three assistant U.S. attorneys had been placed on leave after a number of prosecutors in New York and Washington refused to follow orders to end the case against Adams, a Democrat. The letter was published by several news outlets. Its authenticity was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person who received the letter.'” (04/22/25)
“Rep. Andy Barr [R-KY] is officially entering the race to replace longtime retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell [R-KY]. Barr, who has served in the House for over a decade, is expected to kick off his campaign in Richmond, Kentucky this evening. He’s also releasing a video to launch the campaign that paints him as a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and a fierce opponent of ‘woke’ trends on diversity, transgender inclusion, and U.S. energy dominance. ‘The United States is the greatest country on Earth, and it’s not even close,’ he said in the video. ‘But here’s the problem. The woke left wants to neuter America – literally. They hate our values. They hate our history. And goodness knows they hate President Trump. But here in Kentucky, that’s why we love him.” (04/22/25)
“President Donald Trump is again loudly complaining that the U.S. military bases in Asia are too costly for the U.S. to bear. As part of the new round of tariff negotiations with Japan and Korea, Trump is calling on Japan and Korea to pay for stationing the US troops. Here’s a much better idea: close the bases and bring the U.S. servicemen home. Trump implies that the U.S. is providing a great service to Japan and Korea by stationing 50,000 troops in Japan and nearly 30,000 in Korea. Yet these countries do not need the U.S. to defend themselves. They are wealthy and can certainly provide their own defense. Far more importantly, diplomacy can ensure the peace in northeast Asia far more effectively and far less expensively than U.S. troops.” (04/22/25)
