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Year: 2024

Satanic Temple’s nativity display in New Hampshire destroyed, Dem rep calls for new display

Satanic Temple’s nativity display in New Hampshire destroyed, Dem rep calls for new display

A satanic “nativity” display involving an occult statue erected on Concord city property near the New Hampshire State Capitol was destroyed shortly after several vandalism incidents last week. Now, Democratic state Rep. Ellen Read is saying that the temple “probably should” get to erect a new display in its place. “I think they probably should, because I think the vandalism and the hatefulness shouldn’t go without a response. But it’s up to them,” Read said, the Catholic News Agency reported. Read told the outlet she came up with the idea to suggest that The Satanic Temple (TST) put up the Christmas display, which was a statue of Baphomet – despite significant pushback from local officials – arguing that a Catholic groups’ nativity scene of Jesus should not be the only decoration there. She also said she is a member of TST but has not participated in any of its meetings or events.  ‘SATANIC TEMPLE’ MEMBERS WANT TO VOLUNTEER IN FLORIDA SCHOOLS, BUT GOVERNOR’S OFFICE SAYS IT WON’T HAPPEN According to its website, TST’s mission “Is To Encourage Benevolence And Empathy, Reject Tyrannical Authority, Advocate Practical Common Sense, Oppose Injustice, And Undertake Noble Pursuits.” “We have publicly confronted hate groups, fought for the abolition of corporal punishment in public schools, applied for equal representation when religious installations are placed on public property, provided religious exemption and legal protection against laws that unscientifically restrict people’s reproductive autonomy, exposed harmful pseudo-scientific practitioners in mental health care, organized clubs alongside other religious after-school clubs in schools besieged by proselytizing organizations, and engaged in other advocacy in accordance with our tenets,” the website states.  Avoiding a legal dispute over the First Amendment, the Concord City Council approved the organization’s permit to show the display, despite the mayor saying earlier this week he wished the city had not approved it.  NEW YORK SCHOOL DISTRICT ALLOWS STUDENT TO FORM BIBLE CLUB AFTER PREVIOUSLY DENYING PERMISSION “I opposed the permit because I believe the request was made not in the interest of promoting religious equity but in order to drive an anti-religious political agenda, and because I do not respond well to legal extortion, the threat of litigation,” Concord Mayor Byron Champlin said during the council’s meeting last Monday. “Some on social media have celebrated the Satanic Temple’s display as a victory for religious pluralism and a reflection of our growing diversity as a community. I disagree with this. This is about an out-of-state organization cynically promoting its national agenda at the expense of the Concord community.” Meanwhile, the city put out a statement saying that due to the First Amendment and the potential for a lawsuit, the city was forced to choose between banning all holiday displays or allowing TST’s statue. “After reviewing its legal options, the City ultimately decided to continue the policy of allowing unattended displays at City Plaza during this holiday season and to allow the statue,” the city said in a statement. “It is anticipated that the City Council will review next year whether permits for unattended holiday displays should be allowed at City Plaza.” LAWSUIT AGAINST NY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO MOVE FORWARD AFTER PARENTS SAY CHILDREN WERE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST Read rebuked the mayor in an interview with the Catholic news outlet this week, saying, “I think it’s the narrow-mindedness of the mayor, who can’t seem to wrap his head around that this represents a large percentage of the community and its beliefs.” In a video posted to Facebook, two TST representatives unveiled the statue Monday. One spokesperson recalled the group’s core tenets, before chanting, “Hail Satan!” and showcasing the statue.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Concord Deputy Police Chief John Thomas told a local news outlet that the investigation into who vandalized TST’s property is ongoing.  TST has erected several holiday displays near city or state properties, often alongside traditional Christian exhibits, in recent years. In 2022, the Illinois chapter of TST installed a holiday display in the state Capitol rotunda, which featured a crocheted serpent atop a book and a pile of apples. In December 2023, the Iowa TST chapter set up a Baphomet statue at the state Capitol, which was also vandalized shortly after its placement. 

Mitt Romney names who he thinks will be the GOP’s 2028 presidential nominee

Mitt Romney names who he thinks will be the GOP’s 2028 presidential nominee

Outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said that he thinks Vice President-elect JD Vance will become the GOP’s 2028 presidential nominee, describing Vance as “smart” and “well-spoken.” President-elect Donald Trump tapped Vance to serve as his running mate for the 2024 presidential election, and the two trounced the Democratic ticket, consisting of Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Romney, who made the comments on CNN’s “State of the Union,” said the GOP “has become the party of the working-class, middle-class voter,” adding that Trump should be given credit. TRUMP FOE MITT ROMNEY RESISTS ENDORSING HARRIS The senator suggested that movements to defund the police and allow biological males in female sports led to some middle class flight from the Democratic Party, which he said is “in trouble.” “I don’t know how they recover,” he said. “They’ve lost their base,” he said, noting that union workers have departed the Democratic Party and voted for the GOP. “And the Democratic Party is seen not as rich people, but as college professors and woke scolds,” he said. While interviewing Romney, CNN’s Jake Tapper said “Trump has made it clear that he wants to go after his political opponents,” and asked Romney whether he is worried that he or his family could be targeted “for retribution.” MITT ROMNEY DEFENDS TRUMP’S BORDER SECURITY POLICY, SLAMS BIDEN IN HEATED EXCHANGE WITH MSNBC HOST Romney indicated that he is not worried and that he thinks Trump will likely seek to “focus on the future.” Romney served as a senator since 2019, but opted not to seek another term. He was previously the GOP’s 2012 presidential nominee, but lost that election to incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama.  Romney also previously served as governor of Massachusetts. ROMNEY ANNOUNCES HE WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2024, BASHES TRUMP AND BIDEN When Tapper asked Romney how he would like to be remembered in history, the senator said he does not “think history will remember Mitt Romney.”  “What I want is my family to remember me,” he noted. 

Harris tells DNC staffers after devastating layoffs, ‘our spirit will not be defeated’

Harris tells DNC staffers after devastating layoffs, ‘our spirit will not be defeated’

Vice President Kamala Harris tried to encourage Democratic staffers facing layoffs from the DNC on Sunday, telling them that their “spirit will not be defeated.” Harris made the comments during the DNC’s holiday celebration in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. She spoke alongside President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the event, which played host to staffers who were let go from the DNC without severance packages after the election. “This holiday season, like any time of the year, let us really be conscious of all the blessings we have. Let us celebrate the blessings we have; let us celebrate and advance the blessings we have yet to create,” Harris said. “And let us always remember our country is worth fighting for, and our spirit will not be defeated.” “And hear me when I say this, that spirit that fuels the countless hours and days and months of work that you have put into this, that spirit. It can never be defeated. Our spirit is not defeated. We are not defeated. Let’s be clear about that. We are strong. We are clear about why we are in this. And because you’re here right now. I say again, thank you. Because not only are you clear about all of that, you’re willing to put in the hard work and that work must continue,” she said. ELIZABETH WARREN SAYS KILLING OF UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO WAS A WARNING: ‘YOU CAN ONLY PUSH PEOPLE SO FAR’ Biden took the stage after Harris and defended the pair’s legacy as they prepare to leave office. He argued that the country is in a “resoundingly” better position today than when he and Harris entered the White House. “The one thing I’ve always believed about public service, and especially about the presidency, is the importance of asking yourself, have we left the country in better shape than we found it? Today, I can say with every fiber of my being, of all my heart, the answer to that question is a resounding yes,” he said. WHO ELSE IS MULLING A BID TO STEER THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY He went on to encourage staffers to “stay engaged” in the years ahead. “You’re not going anywhere, kid,” Biden said of Harris. “Because we’re not gonna let you.” Some DNC staffers had expressed frustration at the post-election layoffs, which are relatively common in Washington, D.C. The DNC union objected to the lack of severance packages and other benefits when the layoffs were announced in late November. TRUMP VICTORY PROVES IMPORTANCE OF CANDID, LONGFORM PODCASTS AS PLATFORM SHOWED ‘HUMAN SIDE’ OF ONE CANDIDATE “We find it very cruel that DNC management is trying to claim that layoffs are just part of the job,” a DNC union member told Mother Jones. “And we feel strongly that losing an election has not absolved the organization of its responsibility to treat its workers with basic dignity.” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison does not plan to seek re-election to his post, leaving a pool of would-be leaders to vie for the top position. The next chair will be chosen by the roughly 450 voting members of the national party committee when they meet at the beginning of February at National Harbor in Maryland for the DNC’s winter meeting. The long list of candidates seeking to replace Harrison includes former Chicago mayor and current U.S. ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, as well as Martin O’Malley, the former two-term Maryland governor. Ben Wikler, who has led the Democratic Party in Wisconsin for five years, has also thrown his hat in the ring.

Delhi-NCR Pollution: Schools up to class 5 shift to hybrid mode after GRAP 3 reimposed

Delhi-NCR Pollution: Schools up to class 5 shift to hybrid mode after GRAP 3 reimposed

Due to further poor air quality, schools across Delhi NCR will implement a hybrid learning model for up to grade 5, as per the GRAP-III guidelines. This decision followed the enforcement of the measures of GRAP-III by the Commission for Air Quality Management because of “very unfavourable weather conditions like calm wind and very low mixing height”.

Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz collapses on stage during speech at New York Young Republican Club gala

Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz collapses on stage during speech at New York Young Republican Club gala

An adviser to President-elect Trump’s campaign, Alex Bruesewitz, passed out and collapsed as he was speaking onstage during a New York Young Republican Club gala Sunday night. Bruesewitz, 27, was introducing incoming White House senior aide Dan Scavino inside a venue in Manhattan when he began stumbling over his words and fainted, video on social media shows. Several people quickly rushed to his aid after his collapse. It was not immediately clear what caused him to faint. Master of ceremonies Raheem Kassam, also a former aide of British conservative politician Nigel Farage, later assured the audience that Bruesewitz was doing fine backstage and that he even asked if he “look[ed] cool” when he fainted. TRUMP TAPS RIC GRENELL AS PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY FOR SPECIAL MISSIONS, EDWARD S. WALSH AS IRELAND AMBASSADOR “I talked to our friend Alex Bruesewitz and you know what he said to me? He goes ‘Did I at least look cool?’ I said Alex, you used gravity like I’ve seen nobody use gravity before in their lives,” Kassam said. “But he’s recuperating back there, so give him a big cheer so he’ll hear you.” Trump also said following the collapse that he believes Bruesewitz will be fine, according to the New York Post. “I know that Alex is going to be fine because he’s a tough son of a gun,” Trump said. “There’s no doubt about that. So I want to say hello to Alex, because he’s a very special guy.” Bruesewitz is the CEO of consultancy firm X Strategies LLC, which states its mission to help elect “America First” candidates. Its website says he is “a prominent political consultant and strategist known for his unwavering support of President Donald Trump and the America First agenda.” The website adds that Bruesewitz “has been the driving force behind the efforts to defeat Republicans who fight against Trump and the MAGA movement and works to replace them with Republicans who fight for the values we hold dear.” DC RESTAURANT SERVER FIRED AFTER COMMENTS ABOUT REFUSING SERVICE TO SOME TRUMP OFFICIALS Before his collapse, Bruewitz appeared to be OK while commending the New York Republican Club for backing Trump’s campaign. He also gave shout-outs to several supporters of the incoming president who were at the event, including former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, who recently resigned from his U.S. House seat. Other notable speakers at the event included former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and senior adviser to President-elect Trump, Corey Lewandowski.