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Federal Judge Slaps Down Westboro Baptist Church – Again

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A federal judge has yet again slapped down the Westboro Baptist Church, which is trying to “defend” an unconstitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

On November 4, Election Day, federal judge Daniel Crabtree struck down a ban on same-sex marriage in Kansas. That ruling came a week after the infamous Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church filed a motion to intervene in the case, claiming that the State of Kansas was not rigorously defending the marriage ban.

“Same-sex marriage will destroy Kansas,” the WBC’s brief stated. “If this Court requires Kansas officials to treat what God has called abominable as something to be respected, revered, and blessed with the seal-of-approval of the government, that will cross a final line with God. The harm that will befall this state, when the condign destructive wrath of God pours out on Kansans is the ultimate harm to the health, welfare and safety of the people.”

Less than a week after striking down the ban, Judge Crabtree responded to the Westboro motion to intervene, and denied it.

Just days later, couples in Kansas were marrying.

So the WBC appealed Judge Crabtree’s decision.

And today Judge Crabtree responded by denying it again.

WBC may have extensive experience litigating their rights to free exercise of religion,” Judge Crabtree granted. “But as the Court explained above, plaintiffs here only seek the right to marry and the right to have the state recognize their marriages as valid. These claims only affect marriage in the civil — not the religious — realm. Any expertise it holds, therefore, is not germane to the claims now before the Court.”

Crabtree was not yet done.

“Moreover,” he added, “WBC’s filings reflect a desire to litigate controversies that do not share common questions of fact or law with the claims in this case.”

The folks who like to call themselves “God Hates Fags” have little recourse or hope.

Kansas sits in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has already upheld rulings striking down bans on same-sex marriage. Conceivably the WBC could try to get the Supreme Court to take its case – they have argued and won another case there before – but that’s unlikely.

 

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Video Appears to Show Federal Agents Preventing Doctor From Helping Shooting Victim

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A video obtained by HuffPost appears to show federal agents preventing a man who identified himself as a physician from assisting the 37-year old woman fatally shot by an agent on Wednesday in Minneapolis.

In the video, a federal agent tells the man to “back up now,” while he shouts, “I’m a physician!”

Another voice, apparently a federal agent, says, “I don’t care,” while another says, “We’ve got EMS coming.”

When he says, “We have medics on scene, we have our own medics,” a bystander shouts, “Where are they?”

She continues, “How can I relax, you just killed my f – – neighbor!” then asks, “How do you show up to work every day?”

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“You’re killing my neighbors, you’re stealing my neighbors, what the f – – man?”

The now-deceased woman, who has been identified as Renee Good, was shot “after a group of people began blocking officers during an immigration-related operation in Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security said,” NBC News reported.

Some witness descriptions and videos that flooded social media conflict with official statements from DHS.

“Details remained in dispute,” The New York Times reported, “with President Trump saying the agents had acted in self-defense on social media, while state and local officials described federal accounts of the shooting with terms like ‘propaganda’ and ‘garbage.'”

According to BBC News, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the officer “defensively shot to protect himself.” But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey “disputes federal officials’ account of the shooting, and demands ICE agents leave the city.”

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Image via Reuters

 

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‘Sick of Stupid’: GOP Senator Slams Top Trump Advisor

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U.S. Senator Thom Tillis blasted the Trump administration over its continued, escalating push to acquire the autonomous territory of Greenland, denouncing the advice the President has received from a top advisor while emphasizing that the U.S. Senate is a co-equal branch of the U.S. government.

The Republican senior senator from North Carolina, described as “extremely fiery” by one congressional reporter, targeted Stephen Miller by name in a floor speech on Wednesday, saying that the White House Deputy Chief of Staff had said that “obviously, Greenland should be part of the U.S.”

“That is absurd,” Tillis responded.

“You know what makes me cranky?” the senator continued. “Stupid.”

Tillis, who serves as the co-chair of the Senate NATO Advisor Group, denounced Miller’s “insane comments about how it is our right to have territory owned by the Kingdom of Denmark.”

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“Folks, amateur hour is over,” Tillis continued, before directing his remarks directly at Miller.

“You don’t speak on behalf of this U.S. Senator or the Congress. You can say, ‘it may be the position of the President of the United States, that Greenland should be a part of the United States,’ but it’s not the position of this government, because we are a co-equal branch.”

“One of two things happened with Greenland,” he said. Either President Trump “came up with the idea that maybe we should have Greenland as a part of our assets,” or “Mr. Miller or somebody else said, ‘Hey, this would be cool. Let’s take over Greenland.'”

“Well, that’s stupid, too,” Tillis declared. “And I’m sick of stupid.”

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Can Trump Take Greenland by Force Without Congress? Johnson Won’t Say, Walks Away

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The White House has said that all options are on the table — including military force — for President Donald Trump to decide how he wants to acquire Greenland. But when asked if the Commander in Chief would need congressional authorization to take Greenland by force, Speaker Mike Johnson declined to give a definitive answer but suggested it might not be required — before walking away.

Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, is not for sale. The vast majority of its citizens do not want to be taken over by the United States. As for national security concerns, the U.S. already has a significant military foothold in Greenland through longstanding defense agreements with Denmark, including the Pituffik base.

Some legal experts say Trump would need congressional approval to use the U.S. military to take Greenland by force.

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U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), an attorney and retired Air Force JAG colonel, on Wednesday told members of the U.S. Armed Forces that any Trump order to use military force against Greenland without congressional approval constitutes an illegal order.

“There is absolutely no legal justification whatsoever to use military force against a NATO ally, against Greenland,” he said. “If any military member, including the generals on down, to enlisted members, if any of them participate in the use of military force against Greenland without congressional authorization, they are following illegal orders. That’s simply a fact.”

But Speaker Johnson, a constitutional attorney, appeared to have a different — and less definitive — take.

Desjardins asked if Johnson could clarify if any U.S. military force in Greenland would have to be congressionally approved. Johnson replied, “Uh, no, I can’t, because, um, it depends on what that is.”

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“Is that not a congressional power?” Desjardins asked.

“Congress has a responsibility to declare war,” Johnson continued. “I think there is no scenario where we would be at war with Greenland.”

“Under Article II,” Johnson added, “the president has broad authority as the commander in chief.”

After some more back-and-forth, Johnson walked away, saying, “Bye, guys.”

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