Yesterday, President Trump gave a 30-minute address (full text) to the 2017 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., becoming the first sitting President to address the annual event.  His remarks focused largely on themes of faith and of religious liberty. Here are some excerpts:George Washington said that “religion and morality are indispensable” to America’s happiness, really, prosperity and totally to its success.  It is our faith and our values that inspires us to give with charity, to act with courage, and to sacrifice for what we know is right. The American Founders invoked our Creator four times in the Declaration of Independence — four times.  (Applause.)  How times have changed.  But you know what, now they’re changing back again.  Just remember that.  (Applause.) Benjamin Franklin reminded his colleagues at the Constitutional Convention to begin by bowing their heads in prayer. Religious liberty is enshrined in the very first amendment of the Bill of Rights.  And we all pledge allegiance to — very, very beautifully — “one nation under God.”  (Applause.)  This is America’s heritage, a country that never forgets that we are all — all, every one of us — made by the same God in Heaven.  (Applause.) ….We have also taken action to protect the conscience rights of groups like the Little Sisters of the Poor.  You know what they went through.  (Applause.)  What they went through — they were going through hell.  And then all of the sudden they won.  They said, how did that happen?  (Laughter.) We want to really point out that the Little Sisters of the Poor and other people of faith, they live by a beautiful calling, and we will not let bureaucrats take away that calling or take away their rights.  (Applause.)We are stopping cold the attacks on Judeo-Christian values.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  And something I’ve said so much during the last two years, but I’ll say it again as we approach the end of the year.  You know, we’re getting near that beautiful Christmas season that people don’t talk about anymore.  (Laughter.)  They don’t use the word

In Taylor v. Town of Cabot, (VT Sup. Ct., Oct. 6, 2017), the Vermont Supreme Court vacated a preliminary injunction that a trial court had issued to block a municipal grant to a historic church for repairs to its building.  The grant came from funds that originated with the federal government but now belonged to the town to use consistent with federal regulations. The court held that plaintiffs have municipal taxpayer standing to challenge the grant under the state constitution’s prohibition on compelled support of any place of worship (Chapter I, Article Three). In remanding the case for further proceedings, the court said in part:The fact that the ultimate recipient of these funds is a church does not itself establish a violation of the Compelled Support Clause; the critical question is whether the funds will support worship. Chittenden Town Sch. Dist., 169 Vt. at 325, 738 A.2d at 550. In fact, denying the UCC secular benefits available to other like organizations might raise concerns under the Free Exercise Clause of the United States Constitution. To meet these concerns, plaintiffs will have to demonstrate that painting the church building and assessing its sills is more like funding devotional training for future clergy, as in Locke, than paying for a new playground surface on church property, as in Trinity Lutheran. Specified repairs to the church building itself admittedly fall somewhere between these two poles. In making their case, plaintiffs must persuade the court either that the Compelled Support Clause categorically precludes the use of public funds to pay for any repairs to a building that serves as a place of worship, without regard to the breadth and neutrality of the program pursuant to which the funding is provided, or that the specific repairs funded under this grant are prohibited. The first proposition is legally questionable; the second is not supported by the record.

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As homelessness climbs to record heights, the city will offer a rare and fleeting chance to join the interminable waitlist for a public housing voucherSign up to our monthly Outside in America newsletterFor most of his adult life, Michael Sweetin has bounced between homes – his mother’s, his brother’s, his sister’s. Once, he slept on the street for two nights. When things are particularly desperate, Sweetin, now 33 and living in Los Angeles, donates plasma twice a week for $75. “Your body changes, you feel sick and weak,” he said.Like millions of other low-income Americans, Sweetin is eligible for a rental-subsidy voucher from the federal government. Sweetin applied for one, and was waitlisted until one of the limited number of vouchers becomes available. Continue reading…

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In Williams v. Blood, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 160062 (D UT, Sept. 27, 2017), a Utah federal district court dismissed an inmate’s clam of retaliation for his complaining about his religious diet. The court agreed to appoint counsel for his complaint regarding ending of Islamic congregational meetings when no approved outside volunteer was available.In Womack v. Perry, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 160271 (ED CA, Sept. 27, 2017), a California federal magistrate judge dismissed with leave to amend an inmate’s complaint that defendant cancelled bi-weekly Muslim services in one location because of a disagreement with an inmate there.In Faver v. Clarke, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 160857 (WD VA, Sept. 29, 2017), a Virginia federal district court allowed a Muslim inmate to move ahead with RLUPA claims regarding wearing of a beard, the source from which he can acquire prayer oils, and his religious diet. His 1st Amendment claims were dismissed.In Hall v. Helder, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 161626 (WD AR, Sept. 29, 2017), an Arkansas federal district court dismissed an inmate’s complaint that there had been a 2-week delay in furnishing him a religious diet.In Shabazz v. Lokey, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 162270 (WD VA, Sept. 30, 2017), a Virginia federal district court after a bench trial dismissed an inmate’s suit charging confiscation of his Nation of Islam materials.  Officials had mistaken the materials for gang-related Nation of Gods and Earth materials.In Corley v. City of New York, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 162761 (SD NY, Sept. 28, 2017), a New York federal district court allowed an inmate to move ahead with his complaint that he was prevented from acquiring a

The US will remain an influential country regardless of how its men perform, but how can the Americans graduate from hosting elites to joining them?Could the US ultimately emerge from the wreckage of its failed attempt to reach the 2018 World Cup finals as a bigger power?“Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” striker Jozy Altidore wrote on Twitter on Wednesday night. Continue reading…

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As previously reported, In August a Florida Christian Ministry filed suit against the Southern Poverty Law Center for damages allegedly suffered when the organization was placed on the SPLC’s Anti-LGBT Hate Group list. Some other Christian groups have also sharply criticized the Southern Poverty Law Center for listing them as hate groups because of their stance on same-sex relationships.  Earlier this week, The Daily Caller reported that the Defense Department has officially severed all ties with the Southern Poverty Law Center.  DOD’s Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute has now removed all references to the SPLC in its training material.

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