Month: June 2022

Silicon Valley Church Sues County Over Pandemic Restrictions

In California’s Silicon Valley, a church in San Jose with over 600 members has filed a civil rights lawsuit against county and state officials over COVID-related restrictions and fines. From May through October 2020, Calvary Chapel San Jose (CCSJ) continued to hold indoor services with masks optional and did not enforce social distancing nor limit…


Capitol Report (June 30): SCOTUS Ruling Limits EPA’s Power; Exposing China’s Hidden Crimes

An eventful Supreme Court term has come to an end with two more major decisions—one dealing a blow to the Biden administration, the other scoring a win. How will they impact climate and immigration policies, and the lives of Americans? Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson becomes the first black woman to be sworn in as a…


Separation of Church and State, or Separation of Church From State?

In Kennedy v. Bremerton School Board, the Supreme Court has ruled 6–3 that a high school football coach’s religious liberty was violated when the board fired him for praying at the 50-yard line after games as crowds dispersed. While opponents view the decision as favoring the “majority religion” in America, the Supreme Court seems to…


House GOPers Demanding Answers on Why Grants Going to Boost Atheism Overseas

House Republican Study Committee (RSC) chairman Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and 15 GOP colleagues are challenging the legality of State Department grants—of as much as $500,000 each—to international “organizations committed to the practice and spread of atheism and humanism.” Their challenge is contained in a June 30 letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of…


Where to Celebrate Independence Day in Orange County

Surf City Parade Come join the nation’s 4th largest Independence Day celebration! This year Huntington Beach will be celebrating its 118th annual Independence Day tradition, long-awaited after two years of modified scheduling following COVID-19. This hometown celebration features four whole days of festivities, from the Surf City 5k run to the July 4th parade, as…


Abbott: EPA Plan Will Cripple Oil Production in Permian Basin, Raise Gas Prices Further

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is pushing back against an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal that he says would cripple oil and gas production in the Permian Basin—potentially jeopardizing a quarter of the U.S. gas supply. In a letter he sent to President Joe Biden on Monday, he said, “While you express concern about out-of-control gas…


Thousands of Law Enforcement Personnel Honor Memory of Slain El Monte Officers

ONTARIO, Calif.—Thousands of law enforcement personnel from throughout the region gathered June 30 for a memorial service at Toyota Arena in honor of two El Monte police officers fatally shot in the line of duty, with the men hailed as “valiant heroes.” The ceremony, which followed a solemn procession that began at El Monte police headquarters,…


Texas Police: 4 Migrants Killed in Smuggling Attempt

ENCINAL, Texas—Four migrants died Thursday and three other people were injured in a highway crash in Texas that authorities described as another fatal human smuggling attempt during a tragic week near the U.S.–Mexico border. The crash happened in Encinal, a small town where a tractor-trailer carrying illegal immigrants passed through Monday before ending up in…


Dutch Farmers Protest Climate Mandates That would Cut Livestock by 30 Percent

Dutch farmers are continuing their demonstrations against a government climate policy that officials expect to end many farmers’ livelihoods, with organizers on Telegram planning July 4 protests they say will “flatten” the whole of the Netherlands. The message calls on concerned farmers and citizens to organize their own regional actions with the goal of closing…


More Pets Go Missing During July 4 Weekend Than Any Other Time of Year

More pets are lost during the Fourth of July weekend than any other time of the year, according to a national lost pet recovery website. PetAmberAlert reported animal control services see a 30 percent increase in lost animals from July 4 to 6—including pet dogs, cats, and birds. Noise from fireworks, whether at home or…