Jan 16 Watch 4:24 News Wrap: Trump moves to give religious groups easier access to federal programs In our news wrap Thursday, President Trump moved to give religious groups easier access to federal programs -- and to reaffirm the right to pray in public schools. Nine Cabinet departments proposed rules to ensure faith-based organizations are not discriminated… Continue watching
Jul 08 WATCH: Secretary of State Pompeo unveils creation of human rights commission By Eric Tucker, Associated Press The commission is part of the Trump administration's review the role of human rights in American foreign policy and is expected to elevate concerns about religious freedom and abortion. Continue reading
May 04 Kansas, Oklahoma approve religious veto on LGBT adoptions By Mitchell Willetts, Associated Press State lawmakers in Kansas and Oklahoma have approved legislation to grant protections to faith-based adoption agencies that cite their religious beliefs for not placing children in LGBT homes. Supporters of such measures argued that the core issue is protecting a… Continue reading
Dec 05 Watch 10:30 Justices weigh religion, discrimination and dignity in Colorado wedding cake case One of the Supreme Court's biggest cases this term probes whether the religious beliefs of a Colorado baker override the rights of a couple who were refused a wedding cake because they are gay. Marcia Coyle of The National Law… Continue watching
Dec 01 Opponents in high court wedding cake case differ over terms By Associated Press A Supreme Court case about a baker’s refusal to make a cake for a same-sex couple is also a dispute over terminology. Continue reading
Oct 07 Watch 3:23 Could DOJ’s ‘religious freedom’ guidance give license to discriminate? By PBS News Hour Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued legal guidance on Friday, reiterating that organizations may be exempt from following certain laws if doing so conflicts with their religious belief. The guidance, which does not change existing law, has been criticized by civil… Continue watching
Oct 06 Sessions issues Justice Department directive on religious objections, undercutting LGBTQ protections By Rachel Zoll, Eric Tucker, Sadie Gurman, Associated Press Under the new policy, a claim of a violation of religious freedom would be enough to override concerns for the civil rights of LGBT people and anti-discrimination protections for women and others. The guidelines are so sweeping that experts on… Continue reading
Jul 03 The Supreme Court just had a quiet term. These high-profile cases are about to change that. By Geoffrey Lou Guray After a low-profile first term, justices will take on politically-charged topics such as the travel ban, religious freedom and partisan gerrymandering. Continue reading
Mar 23 What Kentucky’s religious freedom bill could mean for LGBTQ students By Iman Smith A new bill out of Kentucky protects the religious expression of students in public schools and universities, a move LGBTQ advocates say could allow them to discriminate against fellow students based on their sexual orientation. Continue reading
Feb 02 Trump vows to repeal political limits on churches By Catherine Lucey, Associated Press Declaring that religious freedom is "under threat," President Donald Trump vowed Thursday to repeal a rarely enforced IRS rule that says pastors who endorse candidates from the pulpit risk losing their tax-exempt status. Continue reading