aubiefifty

for the record i do not post it thinking it is legit i post it for the humor, etc. i certainly did not agree with it. but it is fun...........

you stepped in it now..........

tightwad............grins

there are local churches that are wonderful about feeding the poor and trying to help some find shelter. i do not post this thinking it is everyone. i post the crap i believe is wrong jm. the stupid stuff done in jesus name is hurting their cause. i have two friends that are pastors. one is my oldest friend. they often agree with me and would on the article i posted.

if it was some idiots wife or daughter on here trump assaulted they would sing a different tune.

they always act like you are the anti christ and you are not near as mean as i can get. i understand now why some folks take a break. hell we might as well be talking to a wall when it comes to the trump cult. it baffles me. social circle was banned and yet others do the same thing with no problem.

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Comer Fudd is dumb as **** and he’s never gonna defeat Bugs Biden and Rudy Colludy gets indicted ... again! Jeff Tiedrich Apr 25 READ IN APP the dumbest dipshit in Congress has finally grown tired of stepping on all the rakes. Comer Fudd, the beady-eyed clown-college reject who failed upwards until he inexplicably found himself Chair of the House Oversight Committee, has announced that he’s “done with” trying to impeach that wascally wabbit, Bugs Biden. Upgrade to paid too bad, so sad! we’re gonna miss you, Jimmy. we’re going to miss those televised hearings. we’re going to miss all your high-pitched mile-a-minute jibberjabbering about phone calls and canceled checks like some meth-tweaked Barney Fife. we’re going to miss your exasperated sputtering as you get publicly pantsed by Democrats like Jared Moscowitz and Jasmine Crockett. all these moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain. so let us tip our hats to Hog Romancin’ Jimmy, and revisit some of the highlights of this 15-month-long farce. where’s our star witness? oh s***, he’s on the run the big recurring theme in all this is that no “star witness” was ever too sketchy to be taken seriously. over and over, Comer Fudd and his partner in clown****ery, the shouty half-dressed degenerate wrestling coach Jim Jordan, would trot out the shadiest of characters, all of them claiming to have personally witnessed Joe Biden criming up a storm — only to have their stories fall apart upon the slightest bit of cross-examination. but sometimes the star witnesses would just ******* up and disappear. enter Gal Luft. the Jimmies had breathlessly announced that Gal was going to be the greatest star witness ever, because Luft claimed to have audio tapes of Biden accepting bribes — but then he vanished without a trace. Comer even suggested that he might be dead at the hands of the insidious Biden Crime Family. but then we found out that Luft was spying for China and the reason no one could find him was because he on the run to evade arrest by the FBI. did Comer and Jordan know that they were working with an unregistered foreign agent and fugitive from justice? neither possible answer is great. if they got duped by this guy, then they’re ******* morons, and whatever shreds of credibility these clowns had is gone forever. and if they didn’t get duped, that means they were knowingly working with an agent of the Chinese government to undermine a sitting president and make his family look bad. what would you call that? because it’s the exact ******* opposite of patriotism. where’s our star witness? oh s***, he’s a Russian agent so when your star witness turns out to be a Chinese spy, what do you do for an encore? this: that’s right, the Jimmies got caught red-handed pushing made-up Russian propaganda that had been spoon-fed to them by a Russian spy. ace job, you clowns. where’s our star witness? oh s***, he’s in prison James Galanis was a star witness who actually showed showed up for his hearing — because he couldn’t get away. Galanis is currently doing 14 years in federal prison after being convicted of securities fraud, investment adviser fraud and a whole raft of colorful misadventures. Galanis testified from his prison cell. so yeah, very credible. now let us toast the true heroes of the hearings, the Democrats who showed up to kick ass. Democrats like Jasmine Crockett. “but when we start talking about things that look like evidence, they want to act like they blind. they don’t know what this is. these are our national secrets, looks like in the shitter to me. this looks like more evidence of our national secrets, on a stage at Mar-a-Lago. when we’re talking about somebody that’s committed high crimes, let’s say 32 counts related to unauthorized retention of national security secrets, seven counts related to obstructing the investigation, three false statements, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, falsifying business records, conspiracy to defraud the United States, two counts related to efforts to obstruct the vote certification proceedings, one count of conspiracy to violate civil rights, 23 counts related to forgery or false document statements, eight counts related to soliciting, and I could go on, but he’s got 91 counts pending right now. but I will tell you what President Biden has been guilty of: loving his child unconditionally, and that is the only evidence that they have brought forward, and honestly, I hope and pray that my parents love me half as much as he loves his child. until they find some evidence, we need to get back to the peoples’ work, which means keeping this government open so that people don’t go hungry in the streets of the United States, and I will yield.” and Jared Moscowitz. “it’s a simple board, right? all other presidents of the United States, 50 percent of the impeachments. Donald Trump, the other 50. Donald Trump has half the impeachments in American history. but you know what? he’s got 100 percent of the indictments.” and here’s Jared again, exposing the entire impeachment clown show for the politically-motivated sham that it was. Moskowitz: “I just think we should do it today. let’s just call for it. I’ll make the motion, Mr. Chairman, I want to help you out. you can second it, right? I make the motion to impeach President Biden. go ahead. your turn. you can second it.” Comer: “gggyyyy” Moskowitz: “no. nothing. ok, we got nothing. so, with my last couple of minutes, I want to show the American people that they’re never going to impeach Joe Biden. it’s never going to happen. because they don’t have the evidence. ok? this is a show. it’s all fake.” even yesterday, as news of Comer’s capitulation broke, Jared couldn’t help kicking Jimmy while he was down — and we are all so ******* here for it. “I was hoping our breakup would never become public. We had such a great thing while it lasted James. I will miss the time we spent together. I will miss our conversations. I will miss the pet names you gave me. I only wish you the best and hope you find happiness.” in James Comer, the people of Kentucky elected themselves a clown — and the rest of us sure as **** ended up with a circus. hey, Rudy Colludy’s in deep doody … again. bankrupt shitnozzle Rudy Giuliani and 17 of his felonious friends just got indicted for election ****ery in Arizona. pro tip for MAGA: if someone approaches you with a stack of forged electoral certificates and says here, sign these, it will be fun — run like hell. and for ****’s sake, never ever video yourself committing felonies. among those indicted for election fraud is Chistina Bobb, who you will note is currently the Trump-controlled Republican National Committee’s counsel for “election integrity.” wherever he is right now, George Orwell is laughing his ass off. everyone is entitled to my own opinion is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

why do they consistently lie about the truth? i do not understand.

247sports.com College football rankings Updated post spring top 25 poll for 2024 season Brad Crawford 28–35 minutes Polarizing college football rankings coming out of spring practice... Spring games, transfer portal moves and depth charts begin to materialize. Approaching the end of April a better view of college football's top 25 teams arrives. There are a number of projections and polls this time of year summoning engagement and this one's no different a few months from now when the AP's official preseason top 25 is released. With one week left in the spring transfer cycle and the tail end of spring practice finishing for various teams, the roster moving and shaking is continuing. The newly-expanded SEC and Big Ten dominate early rankings with Notre Dame seemingly being the only unanimous top 10 team this spring not from one of those two conferences. The 2024 season offers a ton of intrigue with the debut of the 12-team College Football Playoff and a couple new rules that are now being implemented. Get football and recruiting scoop on your favorite college team for 60% off today. Here are the updated early rankings coming out of spring practice... 1. Ohio State Buckeyes (Photo: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch, USA TODAY Sports) Previous ranking: No. 2 No elite program made more power moves in terms of talent accumulation this spring than the Buckeyes. Ohio State went from College Football Playoff threat to one of the national title favorites given the roster and coaching staff additions accomplished by Ryan Day. On top of securing one of the nation's top transfer classes with Alabama All-American safety Caleb Down, Ole Miss standout ballcarrier Quinshon Judkins and multi-year Kansas State starting quarterback Will Howard, the Buckeyes also quickly replaced newly-hired offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien with UCLA head coach Chip Kelly. 2. Georgia Bulldogs (Photo: Kim Klement Neitzel, USA TODAY Sports) Previous ranking: No. 1 There is plenty of ammunition left in the chamber for the Bulldogs despite Georgia seeing its school-record 29-game winning streak snapped in last year's SEC Championship Game by Alabama. That was the only blemish during another otherwise flawless season at a program with two national titles over the last three seasons. Where are the weaknesses for Georgia in 2024? One would be hard-pressed to find any. After signing another top-ranked recruiting class and convincing quarterback Carson Beck to return, the Bulldogs are one of the favorites to win another title. The schedule is arduous, but this team has enough talent to overcome it. 3. Texas Longhorns (Photo: Reese Strickland, USA TODAY Sports) Previous ranking: No. 3 Equipped with the best quarterback duo in the country, several difference-makers on defense and an offensive line that has a chance to be the SEC's best, Steve Sarkisian's national championship window at Texas is happening right now. The Longhorns' 2024 two-deep might be even better than last season when Texas finished one win short of a title-game appearance. Texas is a recruiting powerhouse and Sarkisian's calculated moves in the transfer portal this cycle should pay immediate dividends in the big-play department. 4. Oregon Ducks (Photo: Jason Fairchild, 247Sports) Previous ranking: No. 4 Most expect Dan Lanning to make his first playoff appearance at Oregon this season. Anything less than that, given this program's rise, resources and offseason work in the portal, would underwhelm. Not only did Oregon button up its quarterback room with portal additions Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore, but the Ducks are being built on the defensive side of the football similar to Georgia in terms of depth, skill and ferocity — from the trenches out is the motto for Lanning. Former Texas A&M wideout Evan Stewart will be a star. 5. Alabama Crimson Tide (Photo: Stuart McNair, 247Sports) Previous ranking: No. 4 How much trust do you have in first-year coach Kalen DeBoer during his first go-around in the SEC? Will Jalen Milroe duplicate last season's success as a now seasoned vet? Can Alabama's secondary, littered with new faces, still produce at an elite level? There's a few questions facing the Crimson Tide in the post-Nick Saban answer we don't know the answers to yet, but given this program's level of prestige and overall talent level sans a few notable portal departures, Alabama gets the benefit of the doubt after spring. 6. Ole Miss Rebels (Photo: USA TODAY Sports) Previous ranking: No. 5 This is the most-talented roster ever assembled in Oxford — on paper. Ole Miss grabbed a couple high-end defensive starters out of the portal, coaxed South Carolina's top returning playmaker Juice Wells to switch sides and feel good about their backfield despite the loss of Quinshon Judkins moving over to Ohio State. The Rebels are one of the offseason's poster boys for "teams to watch" and have an impressive trajectory based on what Lane Kiffin's group accomplished in 2023 with 11 wins. If quarterback Jaxson Dart has another banner season, Ole Miss will be one of the SEC's multiple playoff teams with a chance to win it all. 8. Missouri Tigers (Photo: Jay Biggerstaff, USA TODAY Sports) Previous ranking: No. 8 The Tigers return a ton of production despite filling a void through the portal after losing Doak Walker finalist Cody Schrader in the backfield. Unexpectedly having to replace defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who departed for LSU, was a headache Eli Drinkwitz may not have been all that prepared for this spring. Missouri has two former five-stars on its roster in wideout Luther Burden and freshman Williams Nwaneri, a returning starter at quarterback in Brady Cook coming off a statistically-noteworthy season and filled several major needs with transfer market signings. 9. Penn State Nittany Lions (Photo: Grace Brennan-Lions247) Previous ranking: No. 10 Penn State is a unanimous top-10 team for 2024 and it's staying that way despite the spring game performance from the first-team offense leaving much to be desired. By design, sometimes it looks that way in April. The proof of an improvements there come in September when the Nittany Lions take the field with a new play-caller and the promise of explosive plays for the first time in several years. That's what it will take to be an expected force in the Big Ten alongside other elites. James Franklin made changes to a 10-win team he felt were necessary to get over the hump and into the expanded playoff next season. 10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Photo: 247Sports) Previous ranking: No. 9 The Fighting Irish have been good — but not great — in Marcus Freeman's early tenure in South Bend. Hiring Mike Denbrock from LSU was a power move by Notre Dame, which expects to be much better offensively from a well-rounded standpoints. The Fighting Irish will be difficult to contain on that side of the football in 2024 if Clemson transfer Beaux Collins and others are the immediate stars they were recruited to be. Much of Notre Dame's success will hinge on the shoulders of Duke transfer quarterback Riley Leonard, who missed the spring after recovering from surgery. 11. Florida State Seminoles (Photo: Greg Oyster, 247Sports) Previous ranking: No. 18 Mike Norvell is a transfer portal guru and again ensured the Seminoles have one of the ACC's top-tier rosters. Equipped with an elite signing class to pair with his portal additions, Norvell showcased his offseason expertise with another talent reload and should be one of the coaches who significantly benefits from playoff expansion. Former Oregon State and Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei learned the offense quickly and has a variety of weapons around him. FSU's defensive back seven are extremely athletic, too. 12. Tennessee Volunteers (Photo: Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire, Getty) Previous ranking: No. 11 Nico Iamaleava leads the Vols at quarterback in a new era of sorts offensively. He was responsible for four touchdowns in his first career start in the Citrus Bowl win over Iowa and last season's sensation at the position, Hendon Hooker, already deemed him "the chosen one" in Knoxville. That's high praise given Hooker's importance to the program and heightened success during his tenure. Like Michael Penix Jr. managed at Washington, Iamaleava is the type of talent that makes everyone around him better. Much of the defense is back, despite losing leading tackler Elijah Herring to the portal recently. 13. LSU Tigers (Photo: © SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network, USA TODAY Sports) Previous ranking: No. 13 Brian Kelly swiped Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker earlier this spring to solve his program's Achilles heel after a 10-win season. It's hard to believe Jayden Daniels winning the Heisman almost played second fiddle to how bad the Tigers performed defensively, which cost LSU a shot at a second consecutive SEC West title and trip to Atlanta. Garrett Nussmeier is the new starter at quarterback in 2024 and he flexed impressive tools in the spring game. He has a blossoming group of lesser-known wideouts to throw to following Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.'s entry into the NFL. 14. Miami Hurricanes (Photo: 247Sports) Previous ranking: No. 12 Mario Cristobal's not done yet in the transfer portal as he continues to bolster what is shaping up to be Miami's best-looking depth chart in years. The addition of several vital pieces up front and at the skill spots, including Washington State quarterback Cam Ward, makes the Hurricanes one of the headliners in the ACC this offseason. There's no excuse why Miami shouldn't be challenging for a spot inside the top 15 entering November. Still have to prove it, however. 15. Oklahoma Sooners (Photo: Icon Sportswire, Getty) Previous ranking: No. 14 Deion Burks is a baller. The Purdue transfer at the wideout spot was one of the spring MVPs for the Sooners, who found their new go-to playmaker in the passing game. Jackson Arnold looked in full control of Oklahoma's offense heading into his first campaign as the starter as Brent Venables and this team heads into the SEC. Following several impact offensive linemen entering the transfer portal, the Sooners loaded up at the position and feel good about what they have up front. With their retooled front and a defense welcoming back a number of key contributors, Oklahoma will be a tough out in its new league despite facing one of college football's toughest schedules. 16. Clemson Tigers (Photo: Cory Fravel, 247Sports) Previous ranking: No. 15 Are we still feeling about about the Tigers' chances near the top of the ACC race or is reigning champion Florida State the team to beat with Miami gaining steam? Coming out of spring, the hype seems to have simmered a bit on Clemson — just the way Dabo Swinney likes it. Clemson gets Phil Mafah back, but it's going to have to manufacture production elsewhere in the run game to take some of the pressure off Cade Klubnik, who's back for his second season as the Tigers' QB1. Swinney liked the progress his signal caller made this spring. Clemson's defense should be one of the nation's best. 17. Kansas State Wildcats (Photo: Zac Carlson, Scout.com) Previous ranking: No. 16 You know why the Wildcats are one of the trendy picks to win the expanded Big 12? Avery Johnson is a rising superstar after throwing for two touchdowns and running for another during Kansas State's Pop Tarts Bowl win over NC State. After losing multi-year starting quarterback Will Howard to the transfer portal, this Kansas State offenses showed no ill effects of his departure after Johnson handled the offense with a flare for big plays on the move. Much like Kirk Ferentz's Iowa program in the Big Ten, you know what you're going to get out of a well-coached group from Chris Klieman in Manhattan. 18. Utah Utes (Photo: Blair Angulo, Getty) Previous ranking: No. 17 Quarterback Cam Rising returns, but does he make Utah a championship contender? Utah joins the Big 12 with a couple other former Pac-12 departures in hopes of getting to the expanded playoff. 19. Texas A&M Aggies (Photo: Maria Lysaker, USA TODAY Sports) Previous ranking: No. 22 There was initial roster worries for Mike Elko upon his arrival in College Station at the end of the 2023 season given the rash of transfer exits for the Aggies, but he hit the portal hard and Texas A&M will take the field in September with an arsenal capable of disrupting how many of us thought the SEC title race will look. Conner Weigman has talent around him at quarterback and Purdue edge rusher Nic Scourton has softened the blow of a couple defensive line departures that had left a sizable hole in the plan up front. (Photo: Ron Jenkins, Getty) 20. NC State Wolfpack Previous ranking: No. 21 21. USC Trojans Previous ranking: No. 19 22. West Virginia Mountaineers Previous ranking: N/A 23. Oklahoma State Cowboys Previous ranking: No. 24 24. Virginia Tech Hokies Previous ranking: No. 23 25. Louisville Cardinals Previous ranking: No. 20 Dave Doeren knows his Wolfpack team is capable of another finish inside the national rankings, perhaps this time getting to the program's first playoff appearance if NC State's defenses remains elite despite a couple departures. Few teams checked every box in the transfer portal like the Wolfpack, whose headline addition was Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall. ... Jump on West Virginia's wagon while there's still room. The Mountaineers were flying under the radar this time last season prior to a breakout campaign from several returning difference-makers, including quarterback Garrett Greene. This Big 12 title hopeful isn't getting enough attention this offseason, but that's beginning to change.

Trump campaign accused of breaking federal law by hiding millions in legal payments Martha McHardy Thu, April 25, 2024 at 7:15 AM CDT·4 min read 40 A complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission has alleged that the Trump campaign and its related political committees have potentially violated federal law by concealing who is being paid or much of the former president’s legal work. The complaint, which was filed with the FEC by the Campaign Legal Center (CLC), a nonprofit government watchdog, alleges that Trump’s campaign and four other related political committees reimbursed compliance firm Red Curve Solutions $7.2 million for legal fees and expenses between 7 December 2022 and 18 March 2024. However, Red Curve “does not appear to offer any legal services,” CLC noted in the complaint. According to the company’s LinkedIn page, Red Curve Solutions helps political campaigns with a range of services, including “comprehensive budgeting, accounting and financial management and compliance services.” The company is managed by Bradley Crate, who serves as treasurer for the Trump campaign and the four other committees, according to the complaint. The complaint adds that the arrangement between the Trump Campaign and Red Curve “seems designed to obscure the true recipients of a noteworthy portion of Trump’s legal bills and, in doing so, seems to violate federal law.” CLC is asking the FEC to investigate the payments immediately, citing the fact that the arrangement is ongoing. “Red Curve appears to have been fronting legal costs for Trump since at least December 2022, with Trump-affiliated committees repaying the company later,” CLC said in the complaint. “This arrangement appears to violate FEC rules that require campaigns to disclose not only the entity being reimbursed (here, Red Curve) but also the underlying vendor.” The complaint goes on to say that the fact that the committees and the company—which specializes in campaign finance reporting services—did not properly itemize these reimbursements “undermines the bedrock transparency” of public disclosure laws. In the filing, the Trump campaign is also accused of violating a federal prohibition on corporate political contributions with its arrangement with Red Curve. As a limited liability corporation, Red Curve “would be legally barred from making any contributions, such as an in-kind contribution or advance, to Trump’s campaign and any other ‘hard money’ committee – even if that payment or advance is fully reimbursed,” the complaint states. CLC director of federal reform Saurav Ghosh told The Daily Beast, who originally reported the allegations, says the public should not be deprived of its right to know exactly who Trump-connected political groups are paying. “Available information points to the conclusion that Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and other Trump-affiliated committees violated federal law by obscuring who they paid for legal services and how much they paid for those services,” Ghosh said in a statement. “Voters have a right to know exactly how these Trump-affiliated committees are spending their money, particularly since it is unprecedented to see political candidates or committees spending such massive amounts of money on legal expenses.” The Independent has contacted the Trump campaign and Red Curve for comment. Figures released by the FEC earlier this week revealed that Mr Trump’s legal fees are taking a chunk out of his campaign funds, with the Save America political action committee (PAC), which is connected to the Trump campaign, spending $3.7m on legal fees for the former president in March. While Save America has not disclosed the details of how much it has spent on each of Trump’s legal cases, its filings show that since the start of 2023 it has spent more than $59 million on lawyer fees. MTrump, who is the first US president to go on trial, is currently on trial accused of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in an alleged bid to cover up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels for an alleged affair Daniels says they had. Trump denies both the affair and all the charges against him. He is also involved in two other criminal cases related to his alleged attempts to conspire to overturn the result of the 2020 election and another case related to retaining classified documents. But his legal troubles do not start or end there. He also lost a trial last year stemming from a blockbuster lawsuit accusing him of lying about his wealth and assets for years as he built the real estate empire that vaulted him to stardom and the White House. A judge ordered him to pay a $454 million penalty in connection with the case. However, the decision was halted after Mr Trump posted a $175 million bond, preventing the state from seizing his assets to satisfy the debt while he appeals the judge’s decision. Meanwhile, he posted a $91.6 million bond in a defamation case brought by the writer E. Jean Carroll, and a $175 million bond in a fraud case involving falsifying business records.

friendlyatheist.com A Christian ministry urged the Supreme Court to criminalize homelessness Friendly Atheist 8–10 minutes This newsletter is free, but it’s only able to sustain itself due to the support I receive from a small percentage of regular readers. Would you please consider becoming one of those supporters? You can use the button below to subscribe to Substack or use my usual Patreon page! Yesterday, the Supreme Court heard a case that centers around how cities should deal with homelessness. One of the most striking revelations, however, may have come from a Christian ministry that insisted the homeless need to be converted or punished. The case involved the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, where there are more homeless people than available beds in shelters. City leaders have chosen to address the problem, not by building affordable housing or additional shelters but rather by fining people hundreds of dollars for using blankets, pillows, or cardboard boxes on the streets. When homeless people accrue multiple fines, they can be banned from public property… literally leaving them with nowhere to go. And if they remain in the city, they can be criminally prosecuted. A previous legal case already declared those kinds of penalties unconstitutional, amounting to cruel and unusual punishment. So with the help of an attorney, a group of homeless people in Grants Pass filed a lawsuit against the city, saying local ordinances that punished them for basically existing were illegal. After all, they said, they weren’t choosing to live on the streets. There were no other options available to them. Despite winning their case in lower courts, the city repeatedly appealed the decisions all the way up to the Supreme Court. The question in front of the justices is whether the city should be allowed to criminalize homelessness. It would be a disaster—and just another layer of cruelty—if SCOTUS rules in favor of Grants Pass. Before getting into the oral arguments, though, it’s important to recognize that the plaintiffs aren’t kidding about the lack of options available to them. According to legal briefs, the homeless people only have four options in the city. They can stay at a “sobering center” meant for intoxicated people... which has 12 rooms but no beds. There’s a youth shelter where minors ages 10-17 can stay for up to three days (or more with parental consent). There’s a “warming shelter” that can hold 40 people in freezing weather… but also has no beds. And then there’s a homeless shelter run by Gospel Rescue Mission. GRM is a Christian ministry that requires all residents to work for them without pay for “six hours a day, six days a week in exchange for a bunk for 30 days.” They also cannot look for outside work during that month. That’s not all though. They must also attend church every Sunday (from a pre-approved list); Unitarian services are not acceptable. And they have to attend a chapel service twice a day. And they can’t smoke or drink. And they can’t have sex during their stay. What if you’re disabled or have medical or mental health problems that prevent you from attending church? What if you aren’t Christian? What if you just don’t want to participate in the religious activities? Too bad. You can’t stay at their shelter. That’s why the plaintiffs argued they had no realistic options in the city. In cases like these, it’s always interesting to see which groups are filing amicus briefs, making on argument for why the justices should rule one way or the other. Just looking at religious ministries alone, there’s an incredible number on the side of the homeless. They include the Oregon Quakers; the Los Angeles Catholic Worker; the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Hindus for Human Rights; and the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice. Writing at Religion News Service, Kevin Nye spoke to leaders of those groups who told him things like, “Criminalizing, exploiting, and hurting poor and unhoused people is an affront to God and to Christianity itself, and to other religious traditions themselves.” The Kairos Center brief explained that “punishing poor and homeless people for the effects of their poverty and homelessness fails to honor the holy nature of creation, and thereby fails society as a whole.” Even the normally arch-conservative USCCB argued that the “Catholic Church, consistent with western tradition, has long taught that the homeless are to be helped, not punished.” Who could possibly be on the other side of the issue? Well, that would be Gospel Rescue Mission, the ministry that controls the discriminatory shelter in Grants Pass. In their brief supporting the city, they argued that the city’s inability to punish the homeless (because of earlier court decisions) “has significantly decreased the number of people who access the Mission’s services,” as if that’s a bad thing. Municipal public safety laws are a crucial tool in helping the homeless take advantage of available safe shelter resources. Taking away cities’ power to enforce those laws, as the Ninth Circuit has done here, does not benefit the homeless as that court evidently hoped. Instead, it has only hindered the efforts of those in Grants Pass who devote each day to bettering the lives of those facing homelessness. They’re calling for the city to fine and jail the homeless in the hopes that they become the only alternative for anyone seeking to avoid punishment. When you see yourself as the antidote, you start to root for poison. It’s telling that there’s literally zero mention of “God” anywhere in the brief—which is rather unusual for a Christian group making an argument to the Supreme Court. Especially this Supreme Court. The argument isn’t a religious one because how could it be? The ministry says they have beds available, but for various reasons, many of them are going unused. They must know how bad it would look to justify the cruelty against the homeless using the language of faith. Yet they seem blissfully unaware of how their own religious restrictions may play a significant role in why people with no other options still don’t want to ask them for help. It also raises additional questions, as Nye writes: It may be well-intentioned, but GRM’s plea raises serious legal and theological questions. If the Rescue Mission—the only option in town—can shelter just 138 people, how can the government criminalize all 1,200 people experiencing homelessness in the city? Do Christian organizations have a theological mandate, or even a justification, for forcing religious programming in exchange for shelter and care? Can the government compel homeless people to stay at a shelter that has strict religious requirements without infringing further on their constitutional rights? The Christian shelter isn’t, and cannot be, the city’s only viable option here. The long-term solutions have to involve mental health care, addiction specialists, affordable housing, and secular shelters, not just banishing people from the city. But right now, the city isn’t giving homeless people secular, safe places to stay. Instead, Grants Pass is arguing that the options provided are more than enough and the only alternative is to further punish people who are already struggling to survive, making it that much harder for them to get back up on their feet. It’s completely insane logic. And the one Christian ministry directly involved in the case is going all in on the side of More Cruelty. If there’s any silver lining here, it’s that the oral arguments didn’t appear to be a slam dunk for the city of Grants Pass. They will win, of course, since this right-wing SCOTUS isn’t about to rule on the side of victims. But legal analysts seem to think the conservatives may limit the damage in various ways. We can only hope. For once, though, it would be nice if the justices listened to religious groups making sensible, albeit faith-based, arguments for why criminalizing homelessness would only make a bad situation worse. Please share this post on Reddit, Facebook, or the godawful X/Bird app. Share Subscribe to Friendly Atheist Commentary about religion and politics, centered around atheism. this is so jesus like right?

Arizona indicts 18 in election interference case, including Giuliani and Meadows JACQUES BILLEAUD, JONATHAN J. COOPER and JOSH KELETY Updated Wed, April 24, 2024 at 10:34 PM CDT·6 min read 1.4k 1 / 6 Fake Electors Indictment Arizona FILE - Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani speaks during a news conference outside the federal courthouse in Washington, Dec. 15, 2023. Guiliani, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, was among those indicted Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in an Arizona election interference case.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump 's chief of staff Mark Meadows, lawyer Rudy Giuliani and 16 others for their roles in an attempt to overturn Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. The indictment released Wednesday names 11 Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that Trump won Arizona in 2020. They include the former state party chair, a 2022 U.S. Senate candidate and two sitting state lawmakers, who are charged with nine counts each of conspiracy, fraud and forgery. The identities of seven other defendants, including Giuliani and Meadows, were not immediately released because they had not yet been served with the documents. They were readily identifiable based on descriptions of the defendants, however. Trump himself was not charged but was referred to as an unindicted co-conspirator. With the indictments, Arizona becomes the fourth state where allies of the former president have been charged with using false or unproven claims about voter fraud related to the election. Heading into a likely November rematch with Biden, Trump continues to spread lies about the last election that are echoed by many of his supporters. “I will not allow American democracy to be undermined,” Democratic state Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a video released by her office. “It’s too important.” The indictment alludes to Giuliani as an attorney “who was often identified as the Mayor” and spread false allegations of election fraud. Another defendant is referred to as Trump’s “ chief of staff in 2020,” which describes Meadows. Descriptions of other unnamed defendants point to Mike Roman, who was Trump’s director of Election Day operations; John Eastman, a lawyer who devised a strategy to try to persuade Congress not to certify the election; and Christina Bobb, a lawyer who worked with Giuliani. A lawyer for Eastman, Charles Burnham, said his client is innocent. Bobb did not respond to a text message seeking comment, nor did a lawyer who is representing Roman in a case in Georgia. George Terwilliger, a lawyer representing Meadows, said he had not yet seen the indictment but if Meadows is named, “it is a blatantly political and politicized accusation and will be contested and defeated.” Giuliani's political adviser, Ted Goodman, decried what he called “the continued weaponization of our justice system.” The 11 people who had been nominated to be Arizona’s Republican electors met in Phoenix on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign a certificate saying they were “duly elected and qualified” electors and claiming that Trump carried the state. A one-minute video of the signing ceremony was posted on social media by the Arizona Republican Party at the time. The document was later sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was ignored. Biden won Arizona by more than 10,000 votes. Of the eight lawsuits that unsuccessfully challenged Biden’s victory in the state, one was filed by the 11 Republicans. Their lawsuit asked a judge to de-certify the results that gave Biden his victory in Arizona and block the state from sending them to the Electoral College. In dismissing the case, U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa said the Republicans lacked legal standing, waited too long to bring their case and “failed to provide the court with factual support for their extraordinary claims.” Days after that lawsuit was dismissed, the 11 participated in the certificate signing. The Arizona charges come after a string of indictments against fake electors in other states. In December, a Nevada grand jury indicted six Republicans on felony charges of offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument in connection with false election certificates. They have pleaded not guilty. Michigan’s Attorney General in July filed felony charges that included forgery and conspiracy to commit election forgery against 16 Republican fake electors. One had charges dropped after reaching a cooperation deal, and the 15 remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty. Three fake electors also have been charged in Georgia alongside Trump and others in a sweeping indictment accusing them of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally overturn the results. They have pleaded not guilty. In Wisconsin, 10 Republicans who posed as electors settled a civil lawsuit, admitting their actions were part of an effort to overturn Biden’s victory. There is no known criminal investigation in Wisconsin. Trump was indicted in August in federal court over efforts to cling to power after his defeat, including the fake electors scheme. The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday will hear arguments on his claim in that case that he can't be prosecuted for acts he committed while serving as president. In early January, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said that state’s five Republican electors cannot be prosecuted under the current law. In New Mexico and Pennsylvania, fake electors added a caveat saying the election certificate was submitted in case they were later recognized as duly elected, qualified electors. No charges have been filed in Pennsylvania. In Arizona, Mayes’ predecessor, Republican Mark Brnovich, conducted an investigation of the 2020 election, but the fake elector allegations were not part of that examination, according to Mayes’ office. The so-called fake electors facing charges are Kelli Ward, the state GOP’s chair from 2019 until early 2023; state Sen. Jake Hoffman; Tyler Bowyer, an executive of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA who serves on the Republican National Committee; state Sen. Anthony Kern, who was photographed in restricted areas outside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack and is now a candidate in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District; Greg Safsten, a former executive director of the Arizona Republican Party; energy industry executive James Lamon, who lost a 2022 Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat; Robert Montgomery, chairman of the Cochise County Republican Committee in 2020; Samuel Moorhead, a Republican precinct committee member in Gila County; Nancy Cottle, who in 2020 was the first vice president of the Arizona Federation of Republican Women; Loraine Pellegrino, past president of the Ahwatukee Republican Women; and Michael Ward, an osteopathic physician who is married to Kelli Ward. In a statement, Hoffman accused Mayes of weaponizing the attorney general’s office in bringing the case but didn’t directly comment on the indictment’s allegations. “Let me be unequivocal, I am innocent of any crime, I will vigorously defend myself, and I look forward to the day when I am vindicated of this naked political persecution by the judicial process,” Hoffman said. None of the others responded to either phone, email or social media messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. ___ Associated Press writers Gabe Stern and Scott Sonner in Las Vegas, Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

Close this content Arizona grand jury indicts Meadows, Giuliani, other Trump allies for 2020 election interference Kyle Cheney and Betsy Woodruff Swan Wed, April 24, 2024 at 6:37 PM CDT·4 min read 14.4k An Arizona grand jury has indicted 18 allies of Donald Trump for their efforts to subvert the 2020 election — including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Boris Epshteyn. The indictment, which includes felony counts of conspiracy, fraud and forgery, also describes Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator. “Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona's voters,” the 58-page indictment reads. The names of seven of the defendants, including Meadows, Giuliani and Epshteyn, are redacted, but the document makes clear who they are by describing their roles. Others include attorneys John Eastman, Jenna Ellis and Christina Bobb, as well as Trump 2020 campaign operative Mike Roman. Ken Chesebro, an attorney who helped devise Trump’s post-election strategy, is described as “unindicted coconspirator 4.” The other three unindicted co-conspirators are state Sen. Kelly Townsend, former state Rep. Mark Finchem, and former Arizona GOP lawyer Jack Wilenchik. The only defendants whose names are visible in the version of the indictment released by the Arizona attorney general’s office Wednesday evening are the 11 Republicans who falsely posed as the state’s presidential electors despite Joe Biden’s narrow victory there. Among them: former Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward, state senators Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, and Arizona’s RNC committeeman Tyler Bowyer. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, has been helming the aggressive investigation. Though she initially appeared to be focused primarily on the false electors, in recent months it became clear that the scope of the probe was broader than previously understood and swept up prominent Trump allies at the national level. Mayes is the fifth prosecutor to bring criminal charges over the sprawling, multi-state bid by Trump and his allies to upend the 2020 results. Special counsel Jack Smith has charged Trump with federal crimes for those efforts. Prosecutors in Georgia have charged Trump and many of his allies for their efforts to overturn the results in that state, including the fake electors plot. Prosecutors in Michigan and Nevada have also charged Republicans who posed as fake electors in those states. Michigan prosecutors revealed Wednesday that Trump is an unindicted co-conspirator in their own investigation as well. And many of the newly charged defendants in Arizona, including Meadows, Giuliani, Eastman and Ellis, were charged in the Georgia case. Ellis pleaded guilty in Georgia and avoided jail time, while Meadows, Giuliani and Eastman have pleaded not guilty. The charges against Bobb are notable because she was recently elevated to a senior position at the Republican National Committee focused on “election integrity.” Mayes was elected as Arizona’s attorney general in 2022, replacing a Republican. As a result, her probe of the 2020 election plot got off to a later start than those of her counterparts in other states, but it recently appeared to be gathering momentum, with numerous witnesses receiving subpoenas to appear before the grand jury, including several of the false electors. Hoffman, one of the state lawmakers to face charges, appeared before the grand jury on April 8 and asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Mayes also subpoenaed several figures in Trump’s national orbit, including two Republican members of Congress, Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs, who played vocal roles in Trump’s bid to overturn the election. Neither Gosar nor Biggs, however, were considered targets of the probe, and they were not charged in the indictment. Mayes also spoke to Chesebro, a Trump attorney who helped craft the fake electors strategy and who appeared to be cooperating with the probe. And her team questioned Rusty Bowers, who was Arizona’s speaker of the house in 2020 and resisted intense pressure from Trump’s allies to move to overturn Biden’s victory in the state. A witness who testified to the grand jury told POLITICO that grand jurors appeared to come from a mix of political backgrounds. Some asked questions that suggested they sympathized with Democrats, while others sounded more politically conservative and still others were inscrutable. The witness was granted anonymity to discuss the secret proceedings. Regardless of the politics, the witness described the jurors, on the whole, as energetic and proactive, driving substantial lines of questioning, even while prosecutors seemed more focused on nuts-and-bolts efforts to substantiate discrete pieces of evidence. trump...........the gift that keeps on giving.

excuse me sir but you got just as nasty as the rest of us..........

trump dog whistles hate damn near every single day. the stupid crap got worse when he entered politics.