PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Sweet Cakes by Melissa owners Aaron and Melissa Klein to pay $135,000 in “emotional damages” to two lesbian women for declining to make a cake for their same-sex “wedding” in 2014. “[G]iven BOLI’s detailed factual findings about the effect of […]
GREENVILLE, S.C. — A federal judge in South Carolina says that a school district’s continuing practice of including invocations and religious speech at public school graduations is a “cultural residue” left over from historical practices, and that its allowances are wrongly “continuing to color and confuse the application” of its recently revised policies intended to establish […]
KELOWNA, B.C. — A Canadian man that had aspirations to be a pastor has been charged with second-degree murder after his wife and two young daughters were recently found dead in their home. Jacob Forman, 34, made his first court appearance on Thursday after authorities found his wife of ten years, Clara, and their daughters Karina and […]
GLASGOW, Ky. — A Kentucky family court judge who submitted his resignation notice in October after being charged with ethics violations over his decision to recuse himself from any same-sex adoption cases has been reprimanded by the state Judicial Conduct Commission. Judge W. Mitchell Nance was to have officially resigned on Dec. 16, but the Commission scheduled a […]
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission has approved of design plans in erecting a new Ten Commandments monument outside of the state capitol building after a mentally ill man destroyed the first Decalogue display earlier this year with his car. According to the Associated Press, four concrete posts will be installed […]
NORMAN, Okla. — A Muslim man who beheaded his coworker three years ago and attempted a decapitate a second woman has been sentenced to death after a jury determined that he was eligible for capital punishment. “I can’t bring Colleen back, and it’s unfortunate that another life will be taken. May God have mercy on your soul,” […]
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A state judge in California has declined to grant an emergency injunction against a baker who declined a request to make a same-sex “wedding” cake due to her religious beliefs, but also offered to call an accommodating business on behalf of the two lesbians seeking the cake for their event. Kern County Superior […]
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — One of the most conspicuous professing atheist groups in the nation has sent a letter to the governor of Arkansas to request that he stop posting Bible verses on his government-related social media pages. Gov. Asa Hutchinson posts a Scripture to his Twitter and Facebook accounts each Sunday, sharing verses such […]
WASHINGTON — The director of the Administration for Children and Families under the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) stated in a memo this week that he declined to authorize an abortion for an illegal immigrant teenager who was raped because it is doubtful that one can “cure violence with further violence.” “I am mindful that abortion is […]
ATLANTA — A federal judge has ruled that the policies that led to a Georgia fire chief’s firing are unconstitutional, but also found that the City of Atlanta was justified in regard to its decision to terminate his employment because of the public controversy his initial suspension caused. Judge Leigh Martin May, appointed to the bench by then-President […]