Sunday, March 31, 2024

The News Roundup – Domestic and International (The 1A) 2024-03-29

Domestic

A container ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore this week causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River. Now, officials have suspended the search for four missing construction workers who are presumed dead. The remains of two others were recovered.

The Supreme Court heard arguments this week in a case that could affect Americans’ access to the abortion pill mifepristone.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law this week making it illegal for children under the age of 14 to have social media accounts. Those who are 14 or 15 will need a parent’s permission. The bill is expected to face challenges in court.
Interview: 

International

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that “radical Islamists” were responsible for an attack on a concert venue in Moscow last Friday that killed at least 137 people and injured over 100 more. He also accused Ukraine of colluding with the attackers, which Kyiv has denied.

Hamas is calling for the cessation of aid delivery by air, saying that people in Gaza and other areas to which Palestinians have fled are putting themselves in danger trying to get to packages that have fallen in hazardous places.

In Nigeria, days before the deadline for a ransom payment, the army rescued students and staff who were taken from a school in the country’s north in early March.
Interview: 




Jess Piper on the ”Fundie Baby Voice” (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #524)

"In this interview, I spoke with Jess Piper.

Jess was an American Literature teacher for 16 years before deciding to take the plunge and run for office. She ran for the Missouri State House in a deeply red district. And while she didn’t win, she continues her activism as Executive Director of Blue Missouri and hosts a weekly podcast called “Dirt Road Democrat.”

I’ve been reading her essays at “The View from Rural Missouri” for a while now, but I was amazed by how much one of her recent pieces, about the “Fundie Baby Voice,” really resonated with so many people."
Interview: 



Overheard (Alabama Edition) #3 (Freethought Today)

"The longer-term danger — indeed the apparent longer-term goal — is to raise and expand the definition of unborn personhood, to go after birth control methods and reproductive technologies that involve fertilized eggs. The ultimate aim, of course, is to have the fertilized egg declared a person from the moment of conception, under state constitutions and, ultimately, the 14th Amendment."
 — Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus


Telling Jefferson Lies: Whitewashing Jefferson, Part Two (Warren Throckmorton)

This is a continuation of last week's episode on whitewashing Jefferson. Today, we specifically take on Barton's contention that Jefferson was a civil rights hero for African Americans and was a strong anti-slavery advocate during his entire life.

In fact, after 1784, Jefferson's promising beginning as an opponent of slavery faded away. While he continued to advocate emancipation, he linked it with deportation. He always believed that Blacks and Whites could not live together in one nation. He dedicated himself to the business of slavery and as president, supported the expansion of the American slave trade into Louisiana.

Today's episode is hosted by Warren Throckmorton and Michael Coulter. We are pleased to have Monticello librarian Anna Berkes, historian Troy Jackson, attorney and theologian Joel McDurmon, and author and historian Jemar Tisby join us for this episode.

Next week's episode is titled Conspiracy of Silence and deals with fallout from The Jefferson Lies and the response of Family Research Council and Focus on the Family to their awareness that they were promoting false and misleading historical information via their organizations.
Interview: 


They Said What??? (Freethought Today)

"God is so good. He took her by nature, not by any evil deed, bad accident or bad illness. He took her where she was out doing what she loved and that gives us comfort."

Janet Adamson, the mother of Amie Adamson, who was killed by a grizzly bear on a trail near Yellowstone National Park in July.  
BBC, 7-25-23


Saturday, March 30, 2024

Kenneth Copeland Spreads False Christian Nationalist History - RWW News

In this clip, televangelist Kenneth Copeland makes multiple false claims about George Washington and the supposed Christian founding of this nation.

Copernicus online portal offers terrifying view of climate emergency | Climate crisis | The Guardian

Looking at the mass of information, there is only one conclusion: we are running out of time…

Todd Starnes Says Christians Who Vote For Democrats "Hate Jesus And They. Hate Their Religion

On the Take

There's a reason Trump cozies up to Putin. Putin helped Trump win his first term, and now Trump owes him. It was never about 'America First', it's always been about satisfying the dictator he's indebted to.

Do Jesse Watters’ claims about the federal budget, LGBTQ+ and DEI funding add up - PolitiFact

Fox News host Jesse Watters' five-part claim about programs funded by the latest federal budget ranges from missing context to inaccurate…
https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/mar/29/do-jesse-watters-claims-about-the-federal-budget-l/


Eric Metaxas Says Joe Biden Is A "Puppet Of The Devil"

Trump cultist Eric Metaxas' hatred of Biden is making him increasingly unhinged as he calls Biden a "puppet of the devil" and declares that "this man is wicked. There's an absolutely horrifying malevolence [about him]."

Overheard (Alabama edition) #2. (Freethought Today)

"Not only are women not able to control not having children, they can’t make the decision to have them. This decision is not about God, faith or scripture; it is about controlling women at what appears to be the cellular level."
 — North Carolina pastor Solomon Missouri


Telling Jefferson Lies: Whitewashing Jefferson, Part One (Warren Throckmorton)

Why did Thomas Nelson pull David Barton's book The Jefferson Lies from publication in 2012? Last week, we started to answer that question. This week we continue to provide specific illustrations of the historical errors which triggered that unprecedented move by Thomas Nelson.

In this episode, we focus on the errors regarding race and slavery. We spend a significant amount of time demonstrating how David Barton deliberately omitted parts of the 1782 Virginia law on manumission. We submit he did this to whitewash Jefferson's record and actions as an enslaver of human beings. Even if this whitewashing was not intentionally racist, the obstruction of the record regarding racism, according to our guests, conspires with people who are racist to maintain a societal environment where racism endures.

In this episode, hosts Michael Coulter and Warren Throckmorton are joined by historian and author Jemar Tisby, historian Troy Jackson, attorney and theologian Joel McDurmon, historian Gregg Frazer, and pastor and social worker Joel Bowman to reflect on the whitewashing of Jefferson. We also hear from pastor Ray McMillian who asks a critical question: Can we eradicate racism if we have racists as heroes?
Interview: 

They Said What??? (Freethought Today)

"It doesn’t matter what the cause is, “what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” [Matthew 6:19]. I don’t even care if the person is a reprobate, and they hate God, and they hate you, and they . . . even if they’re, like, an axe murderer, you cannot legally divorce them in the sight of God."

Christian preacher Duncan Urbanek of Pure Words Baptist Church in Houston during a recorded sermon.  The Friendly Atheist, 7-24-23


Friday, March 29, 2024

Trump And Our Two-Tiered Justice System | The Problem with Jon Stewart

Overheard (Alabama Edition) #1 (Freethought Today)

"It is humiliating to even have to say this: that women matter more than fetuses or embryos, that a frozen cell in a petri dish is not a human being, but we are. It is an absurdity to make this argument, an exhausting waste of our time, a degradation. "
 — Guardian columnist Moria Donegan


Protect against iPhone password reset attacks: How-to - 9to5Mac

As detailed by Krebs on Security (via Parth Patel), attackers abusing this vulnerability appear to be doing so through an Apple user's phone number which can bomb your iPhone and other Apple devices with 100+ MFA (multi-factor authentication) system prompts to reset your Apple ID password...


Kentucky Legislature cuts Democratic governor out of picking potential McConnell replacement - POLITICO

The change is the latest Republican-led maneuver to the state's vacancy law. Prior to the current system, the governor was able to appoint a temporary replacement until a special election was held during the next House election. McConnell was the one who encouraged changing the rules three years ago.

CDC alerts doctors to watch for a rare, serious bacterial infection | CNN

Health officials are alerting doctors to be on the lookout for certain types of rare, serious meningococcal infections that are on the rise in the United States...


Opinion | Will the MAGA faithful actually read Trump’s bible? - The Washington Post

Toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus does give a warning that could not be more relevant as Trump seeks to regain power: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."…



MTG lobs 'completely backward' new excuse for Trump's 'find me the votes' call - Raw Story

"This is completely backwards," Weigel remarked on Twitter. "Trump wanted ballots already counted for Biden to be disqualified, until he (Trump) took the lead again."…

Support for legal abortion hits new high among US voters: Fox News poll | The Hill

The 59 percent figure is a significant increase from the April 2022 record low of 44 percent in an identical Fox News poll...


South Carolina to use congressional map deemed unconstitutional - The Washington Post

South Carolina appealed, and both sides asked the Supreme Court to expedite the case to ensure a final ruling was in place well ahead of election season. The justices heard arguments in October but have yet to rule. 

With no decision and the June 11 primary on the horizon, South Carolina sought permission to use the map this year even though it had been deemed unconstitutional. The panel of judges unanimously agreed Thursday to keep the map in place for this election..


Telling Jefferson Lies, Bonus Episode: "God's Honest Truth" (Warren Throckmorton)

Since the founding era, Christian nationalists have told and believed myths about the founders and their religious views. Paul Matzko, historian and researcher with the Cato Institute and Anna Berkes, librarian at Monticello's Jefferson Library talk to me about the persistence of these stories throughout the history of the U.S.

Then, I fact-check a fable involving Thomas Jefferson and Daniel Webster which has been lately told by Eric Metaxas and David Barton but has been around since 1858. This is an episode which demonstrates how to examine the context and facts of historical claims. Specifically, I address the claims that Thomas Jefferson told Daniel Webster, "I have always said, and I always will say, that the studious perusal of the sacred volume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands."

The next regular episode -- Whitewashing Jefferson -- will come out on February 21.

There is much more about these fables in our book Getting Jefferson Right. More information about the book is at GettingJeffersonRight.com.
Interview: 


Catch and Kill (Allison Gill and Pete Strzok; Cleanup on Aisle 45 podcast episode #166)

This week: 
  • one Trump lawyer gets arrested for a warrant while in court and another gets admonished by the judge for misrepresenting the facts surrounding document production from SDNY; 
  • Trump’s hush money/election interference/false business records trial is set for Jury selection on April 15th; 
  • Trump’s bond was reduced from around $500 million to $175 million and several other orders were stayed pending his appeal in the NYAG civil fraud case; 
  • TikTok investor gives Trump a big wealth infusion through Truth Social; 
  • Congressional Republicans are in such disarray that George Santos will run as an Independent, 
  • and more.
Interview: 


They Said What??? (Freethought Today)

"Regardless of what your beliefs are, our society is a Judeo-Christian society, and we have a moral compass. Not everybody does."

Lt. Gen. Richard G. Moore Jr., a three-star Air Force general, speaking about how the U.S. military’s approach to artificial intelligence is more ethical than adversaries’. 
Washington Post, 7-22-23


Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Stupid Party

"Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups" - George Carlin

Top U.S. & World Headlines — March 28, 2024

The Scary New iPhone Scam You NEED to Know About

Russia Amps Up Online Campaign Against Ukraine Before U.S. Elections - The New York Times

Russian operatives are laying the groundwork for what could be a stronger push to support candidates who oppose aiding Ukraine, or who call for pulling the United States back from NATO and other alliances, U.S. officials and independent researchers say...



John Eastman, architect of Trump’s 2020 election plot, should be disbarred, judge rules - POLITICO

"Given the serious and extensive nature of Eastman's unethical actions, the most severe available professional sanction is warranted to protect the public and preserve the public confidence in the legal system," Roland ruled. 

Roland's 128-page opinion was a lacerating rebuke of Eastman's conduct and his subsequent lack of remorse. She concluded that he made knowingly flimsy claims of fraud and irregularities in legal filings on Trump's behalf, including his brief for Trump in a Supreme Court fight...

SECRETS of Trump Law Group FINALLY Get Revealed

Leonard Leo, Stephen Miller, and the gang…

How Trump has Funded His $100 Million in Legal Bills - The New York Times

The Trump team has said the Republican National Committee won't pay his legal bills. But his new shared fund-raising agreement with the party directs a portion of donations to his Save America PAC before the party itself…

People say they're leaving religion because of anti-LGBTQ teachings and abuse : NPR

People in the U.S. are leaving and switching faith traditions in large numbers. The idea of "religious churning" is very common in America, according to a new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI)…


Democrat wins election in conservative Alabama after focus on abortion and IVF | Alabama | The Guardian

Marilyn Lands elected to state legislature in deep red state by significant margin after centering reproductive rights in campaign…


The Real Reason Some Abortion Pill Patients Go to the ER | WIRED

The abortion pill mifepristone went in front of the US Supreme Court on Tuesday. Antiabortionists say an increase in emergency room visits shows it's unsafe. Medical experts disagree...


Democrats tout new ways to tax the wealth of the super-rich - The Washington Post

Earlier this month, President Biden unveiled a budget plan that proposes to raise more than $4.5 trillion in new taxes over the next decade, largely by targeting corporations. While repeating his pledge that families making less than $400,000 a year should not pay more tax, he revived and expanded upon an idea that Democrats have been kicking around for more than a decade: a minimum tax on the ultrawealthy…


Montana Supreme Court strikes down voting restrictions - The Washington Post

The laws ended same-day voter registration in most cases, eliminated student ID cards as a permitted form of voter ID and sought to curtail paid ballot-collection efforts. They also outlawed absentee ballots for people who would be 18 years old by Election Day...


Chris Christie decides against No Labels presidential bid after advanced discussions - The Washington Post

"I appreciate the encouragement I've gotten to pursue a third-party candidacy," Christie said in a statement to The Washington Post on Wednesday. "While I believe this is a conversation that needs to be had with the American people, I also believe that if there is not a pathway to win and if my candidacy in any way, shape or form would help Donald Trump become president again, then it is not the way forward."…



Mnuchin tried to force a sale of TikTok. Now he’s a possible bidder. - The Washington Post

The former treasury secretary's interest in purchasing the popular app from China-based ByteDance is raising ethical alarms as Congress considers a forced sale…

Supreme Court pulls INFURIATING stunt

Marc Elias discusses a pending Supreme Court ruling in South Carolina

John Birch Society x Today’s GOP (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

At the height of the John Birch Society’s activity in the 1960s, critics dismissed its members as a paranoid fringe. After all, “Birchers” believed that a vast communist conspiracy existed in America and posed an existential threat to Christianity, capitalism, and freedom. 

But as historian Matthew Dallek reveals, the Birch Society’s extremism remade American conservatism. Most Birchers were white professionals who were radicalized as growing calls for racial and gender equality appeared to upend American life. Conservative leaders recognized that these affluent voters were needed to win elections, and for decades the GOP courted Birchers and their extremist successors. 

The far right steadily gained power, finally toppling the Republican establishment and electing Donald Trump.
Interview: 


They Said What??? (Freethought Today)

"But right now, all of us who believe in God and are disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ have common enemy in the agnosticism, atheism and nihilism that are deeply affecting our culture and especially the minds of young people."

Bishop Robert Barron, in the 2023 commencement address to Hillsdale College. 
Imprimis, 6-2-23


Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Top U.S. & World Headlines — March 27, 2024

The Exvangelicals: with Sarah McCammon (Seth Andrews; The Thinking Atheist podcast)

"Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing." (George Orwell, the novel 1984) 
Sarah McCammon is a broadcaster, investigative reporter, and author. She joins the show to talk about her journey into the world of the "exvangelical."
Interview: 

Justice Breyer: You Don’t Want A Judge To Be Influenced By Popular Opinion

Stephen asks Retired Justice Stephen Breyer to comment on the influence of politics and public opinion on the rulings made by the U.S. Supreme Court, a topic that Breyer covers in his latest book, “Reading The Constitution,” which is available everywhere now.

NBC condemned by top US historian over role for Ronna McDaniel

"What NBC has done of its own volition is bring into a very important conversation about democracy, one which is going to take place for the next seven months or so, someone who … tried to disassemble our democracy. Who personally took part in an attempt to undo the American system," Synder said. 

 "And so … what NBC is doing is saying, 'Well, [it] could be that in '24 our entire system will break down. Could be we'll have an authoritarian leader. Oh, but look, we've made this adjustment in advance because we've brought into the middle of NBC somebody who has already taken part in an attempt to take our system down.' 

Jon Stewart Deconstructs Trump’s "Victimless" $450 Million Fraud | The Daily Show

Jon Stewart examines Donald Trump's deadline to come up with the $454 million bond in his civil fraud case, and deconstructs investment talking heads like Kevin O'Leary calling Trump's actions a "victimless crime."

Dr. Ben Carson didn’t discover a cure for headaches and other ailments, despite online claims - PolitiFact

"Dr. Carson has not endorsed or ever heard of this," Brad Bishop, a Carson spokesperson, told PolitiFact. "That is completely fake."…


Top U.S. & World Headlines — March 26, 2024

No, Donald Trump, migrants aren’t ‘killing’ Social Security and Medicare - The Washington Post

In 2013, the chief actuary for Social Security estimated that about half of undocumented immigrants used a Social Security number. As a result, undocumented immigrants and their employers paid $13 billion in Social Security taxes in 2010, the actuary said. 

The Center for Immigration Studies, which supports stricter immigration limits and a merit-based immigration system (and is often quoted with favor by Trump), said in a report last year that payments by undocumented immigrants "improves the finances of Social Security and Medicare." …


Elon Musk has fully bought into the ‘great replacement’ - The Verge

Musk apparently thinks Democrats are using immigration to bolster a favorable voting demographic — but that's not how immigration works.


Last Week in the Republican Party - March 26, 2024

Trump hawking ‘God Bless The USA Bible’ ahead of Christian holiday - POLITICO

The former president took to Truth Social on Tuesday to urge his supporters to buy the "God Bless the USA Bible," a $59.99 Bible inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood's song...


Visa and Mastercard end swipe fee battle with $30 billion settlement

The settlement, one of the largest in U.S. antitrust history, resolves a 2005 lawsuit alleging that merchants were forced to pay "excessive fees" to accept Visa and Mastercard credit cards, and that the two card issuers and member banks violated antitrust laws. Together, Visa and Mastercard make up about 80% of the credit card market...


MI Lawmakers Working to Fix Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Program — ProPublica

State law provides $50,000 for each year of wrongful imprisonment, but a ProPublica investigation showed how the law's narrow requirements led to delays, partial settlements and outright denials of payments...


5 key moments from Supreme Court arguments on the abortion pill case - The Washington Post

Reproductive rights returned to the Supreme Court on Tuesday for the first time in nearly two years, as the justices heard oral arguments for in the high-stakes case FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. 

 The high court is considering whether to roll back access to mifepristone, a key abortion medication that is part of a two-drug regimen and used in more than 60 percent of U.S. abortions. 

 The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a coalition of antiabortion doctors and others, is arguing that the Food and Drug Administration didn't sufficiently consider safety concerns when it approved the drug in 2000 or when it removed some restrictions in 2016 and in 2021. The Justice Department, on behalf of the Biden administration, argues that the plaintiffs don't have standing in the case because they have never prescribed the drug. Danco Laboratories, the drug's manufacturer, also contends that a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs would have a chilling effect on the pharmaceutical industry. 

Politicians may rail against the ‘deep state,’ but research shows federal workers are effective and committed, not subversive

Often, what they're referring to is what we, as scholars of the inner workings of democracy, call "the administrative state." At times, these critics use a label of collective distrust and disapproval for government workers that sounds more sinister: "the deep state."… 

Most of them are devoted civil servants. Across hundreds of interviews and surveys of people who have made their careers in government, what stands out most to us is their commitment to civic duty without regard to partisan politics.


Key Takeaways From Supreme Court Arguments on Abortion Pill Access - The New York Times

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said there was "a mismatch" between what the anti-abortion doctors are claiming they have experienced and the remedy they are seeking. "The obvious common-sense remedy would be to provide them with an exemption, that they don't have to participate in this procedure," Justice Jackson said. 

Noting that such a remedy already exists in the form of conscience protections, she said: "I guess, then, what they're asking for in this lawsuit is more than that. They're saying, 'Because we object to having to be forced to participate in this procedure, we're seeking an order preventing anyone from having access to these drugs at all. " 

Justice Barrett asked about the plaintiffs' claim that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, which requires emergency departments in hospitals to treat patients with urgent medical issues, would override doctors' conscience objections and force them to treat patients who have taken abortion pills anyway. Ms. Prelogar said that would not happen because EMTALA applies to hospitals, not individual doctors, so doctors with moral objections could opt out...


Rocked by Deadly Terror Attack, Kremlin Amps Up Disinformation Machine - The New York Times

The bloody terrorist attack on a concert hall near Moscow had barely subsided before Russia launched a disinformation campaign suggesting that Ukraine and the West were somehow behind it, pushing a version of events molded to fit the Kremlin war narrative and downplay a significant security failure. 

 President Vladimir V. Putin has hinted several times that Kyiv and Washington played a part, and the latest to join the chorus was Aleksandr Bortnikov, the director of the Federal Security Service, the top security agency in Russia. On Tuesday he said, without offering any evidence, that the assault "was prepared by both radical Islamists themselves and, naturally, facilitated by Western special services."…


How Ronna McDaniel Backed Trump’s Early Bid to Hold Power - The New York Times

Speaking on Fox on Nov. 10, Ms. McDaniel repeated unsubstantiated and soon-to-be debunked claims of "deceased voters" and "batches of votes that were invalidated," declaring, "that is stealing." 

And on social media, Ms. McDaniel questioned "irregularities" about the election, posted fund-raising solicitations and promoted hearings in states where Mr. Trump's allies presented bogus evidence of election malfeasance. She vowed that the R.N.C. would "pursue this process to the very end."…


Trump Torched After Bizarre Gaffe-Filled Appearance | HuffPost Latest News

Trump also vowed to "bring crime back to law and order." 

Biden's campaign torched the former president as "weak and desperate ― both as a man and a candidate for president" and mocked his fundraising struggles and lack of recent appearances. 

"His campaign can't raise money, he is uninterested in campaigning outside his country club, and every time he opens his mouth, he pushes moderate and suburban voters away with his dangerous agenda," the campaign said in a statement. "America deserves better than a feeble, confused, and tired Donald Trump."

🚨 Yet ANOTHER retirement signals SURPRISE win for Democrats

Marc Elias discusses the unexpected retirement of a conservative state Supreme Court justice in Michigan.

They Said What??? (Freethought Today)

"In the coming days, I will introduce a national prayer in school law so that in every classroom in America, there will be time for students to pray if they choose. And you know what, this beautiful new Supreme Court that President Trump gave us just might uphold a constitutional law like that based on the values that this country was built on. "

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, speaking at the far-right religious Turning Point USA conference.
CBS News, 7-17-23

https://www.freethoughttoday.com/sections/500-features/they-said-what-september-2023/


Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Abortion pill case spotlights rightwing judge and his wife’s shadowy connections

Ho served on the three-judge panel last summer that ruled to restrict access to mifepristone. The legal group behind the mifepristone case, Alliance Defending Freedom, made at least six payments from 2018 through 2022 to his wife, Allyson, a powerhouse federal appellate lawyer who has argued in front of the supreme court and has deep connections to the conservative legal movement that has led the attack on the right to abortion in the US. 

The payments don't violate the court's code of conduct, according to Stephen Gillers, a New York University emeritus professor of law and author of Regulation of Lawyers: Problems of Law and Ethics. But some court watchers argue that Ho's failure to recuse himself from the case illustrates why public trust in the judiciary is eroding. One recent survey found that 63% of judges noted a dip in the public's positive perception of them.


I helped advise the US government on the next likely pandemic. What I learned is alarming

These are the challenges facing experts as we try to plan for a future pandemic. However, progress is stalling. In the meetings I've attended, the sentiment is one of frustration as political priorities have shifted away from public health. In the US, President Joe Biden has been actively engaged in global health security, and his secretary of state, Antony Blinken, invited several experts – including myself – to brief him directly on post-Covid-19 response. However, Biden now faces re-election and a fight against Donald Trump, who did not show any interest in this issue during his presidency. Here in the UK, it feels difficult to make the case for a potential pathogen that could affect the country, when the NHS is falling apart…


White House vows to repeal GOP-led ban on Pride flags over U.S. embassies - The Washington Post

"President Biden believes it was inappropriate to abuse the process that is essential to keep the government open by including this policy targeting LGBTQI+ Americans," Jean-Pierre said. She also noted that the Biden administration has successfully defeated more than 50 other anti-LGBTQ+ policies that Republicans had attempted to insert into the funding bill...









Click Older Posts above to see more.