Fox News

The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it will hear the case of a suburban Denver baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple on faith-based grounds, in the latest religious freedom case to be considered before the nation’s highest court.

Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, had refused to sell a customized cake for a gay couple’s union, claiming a religious exemption to the state’s anti-discrimination law.

State courts had ruled against the businessman.   Continue reading “Supreme Court to hear case of baker’s refusal to make wedding cake for gay couple”

Reuters – by Andrew Chung

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday narrowed the rights of property owners in disputes with governments and laid out a formula for determining when landowners are owed compensation in a case involving a vacant lot in Wisconsin on the picturesque St. Croix River.

The court decided that government officials can combine separate parcels of private land in determining whether public officials have effectively taken private property through zoning laws and must pay compensation. The ruling could make it harder for property owners to prove compensation claims.   Continue reading “Supreme Court limits rights of property owners”

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WCAX

SAN DIEGO (AP) – A former Mexican lawmaker arrested at the California border was charged Thursday with working for the Sinaloa drug cartel, whose once-powerful kingpin, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, was extradited to the United States in January.

Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez, a former representative in the Sinaloa state legislature, was charged Thursday in federal court in San Diego with conspiracy to distribute 11 pounds (five kilograms) of cocaine in the United States between January 2013 and January 2017.  Continue reading “Ex-Mexican lawmaker arrested at US border on drug charges”

NBC News

A caught-on-camera road rage incident between a motorcyclist and a driver on a Southern California freeway led to a chain-reaction crash, sending an innocent person to the hospital Wednesday, authorities said.

The crash occurred before 6 a.m. on the southbound 14 Freeway near Newhall in Santa Clarita. The passenger who shot the video said he started recording when a gray sedan inadvertently cut off a passing motorcyclist.   Continue reading “Road Rage Caught on Camera: Motorcyclist Kicks Sedan Before Multi-Car Crash”

ABC News

New Jersey authorities are looking for a police officer after he skipped out on his trial on charges that he helped gang members in police investigations.

The Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office says it is searching for 49-year-old Keith German after the Asbury Park patrolman failed to show up in court Tuesday. The trial went on without him. German’s lawyer isn’t commenting.   Continue reading “Police looking for patrolman who skipped out on his trial”

Reuters

Oil will continue to flow through the Dakota Access Pipeline through the summer while authorities conduct additional review of the environmental impact, after a judge on Wednesday ordered more hearings in coming months.

Last week, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg in Washington ruled in favor of Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes, who said more environmental analysis of the Dakota Access line should have been carried out. The tribes had said the 1,170-mile (1,880 km) line violates their hunting, fishing and environmental rights.  Continue reading “Oil to keep flowing in Dakota line while legal battle continues”

Fox News

President Trump announced Wednesday night that he will soon ask Congress to pass legislation banning immigrants from accessing public assistance within five years of entering the U.S.

“The time has come for new immigration rules that say … those seeking immigration into our country must be able to support themselves financially and should not use welfare for a period of at least five years,” Trump told a campaign-style rally in Grand Rapids, Iowa.  Continue reading “President calls for barring immigrants from welfare for five years”

The Daily Caller – by Alex Pfeiffer

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) surveyed illegal immigrant minors in its custody and found that 28 percent of them were gang members, according to Senate testimony.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Wednesday on the “MS-13 problem.” The Salvadoran gang has grown in the recent years in the U.S. due to an influx of illegal immigrant minors from Central America.   Continue reading “Feds: More Than A Quarter Of Illegal Immigrant Minors In Our Care Are Gang Members”

RT

The Bishop International Airport (FNT) in Flint, Michigan has been evacuated after a police officer was stabbed in the neck, local media report. The airport is closed until further notice.

All passengers are safe and have been evacuated, the airport said in a statement, urging flyers to check with their airlines for potential cancellations or delays.   Continue reading “Airport in Flint, Michigan evacuated after cop stabbed in the neck”

Yahoo News

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s top law enforcement officer is urging the author and antiquities dealer who inspired thousands to search remote corners of the American West for a hidden chest of gold and jewels to end the treasure hunt.

The plea from State Police Chief Pete Kassetas follows what authorities believe is the latest death related to the effort to uncover Forrest Fenn’s treasure.

Colorado pastor Paris Wallace disappeared last week while searching for the bounty in a rugged area along the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico. His family reported him missing, triggering an extensive search.   Continue reading “Police implore author who says he hid treasure to end hunt”

BBC News

As temperatures climb in Phoenix, Arizona, more than 40 flights have been cancelled – because it is too hot for the planes to fly.

The weather forecast for the US city suggests temperatures could reach 120F (49C) on Tuesday.

That is higher than the operating temperature of some planes.   Continue reading “Phoenix flights cancelled because it’s too hot for planes”

CBS News

Personal information for more than 198 million American voters was left exposed this month after a data analytics firm hired by the Republican National Committee stored the files on an unsecured Amazon server.

Deep Root Analytics, the conservative analytics firm, confirmed in a statement Monday the files had been accessed without their knowledge.   Continue reading “Nearly 200M Americans hit by massive voter data leak”

Washington Post – by Philip Rucker

The Chinese government has invited Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s daughter and son-in-law, to visit Beijing later this year, a U.S. official confirmed Tuesday morning.

China’s invitation is an apparent effort to cultivate closer ties to the Trump administration and is an indication of the young couple’s expanding role in foreign affairs on behalf of the president. It was first reported by Bloomberg and confirmed by a U.S. official, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity because no formal announcement had been made.  Continue reading “Chinese government invites Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner to visit Beijing”

Yahoo News

SEATTLE (AP) — Family members of a pregnant mother shot and killed by Seattle police questioned Monday why they didn’t use a Taser or other non-lethal options when they encountered the woman, who the officers knew had been struggling with mental health issues.

The two officers had gone to Charleena Lyles’ apartment on Sunday after she reported a burglary. She confronted them with a knife, authorities said.   Continue reading “Pregnant Woman Fatally Shot By Seattle Police Outside Apartment Building”

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NJ.com – by Tom Haydon

CRANFORD — He was an active, healthy 4-year-old boy until one day in August 2015 when he was at the Lightbridge Academy child care center, according to his parents.

On that day, two workers at the center, Erica Kenny and Chanese White urged children to fight, and threatened pre-schoolers if they did not, according to a lawsuit filed in Superior Court.   Continue reading “Child needs therapy after day care ‘fight club,’ lawsuit says”

Reuters

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Monday it would view as targets any flying objects over Syria in the areas of the country where its air forces operate, Russian news agencies reported.

The statement followed after a U.S. warplane shot down a Syrian army jet on Sunday in the southern Raqqa countryside, with Washington saying the jet had dropped bombs near U.S.-backed forces and Damascus saying the plane was downed while flying a mission against Islamic State militants. [nL8N1JF0YG]   Continue reading “Russia to target any ‘flying objects’ over Syria where its aviation is active: agencies”

CBS Boston

SAUGUS (CBS) – An “armed and dangerous intruder” is said to be holed up inside a store at the Square One Mall in Saugus, according to police.

State and local police were called to the mall around 4:30 a.m. for a report of a break-in at the Dick’s Sporting Goods there.   Continue reading “Police Close Off Square One Mall In Saugus For ‘Armed And Dangerous Intruder’”

Yahoo News

Tehran (AFP) – Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Monday missiles it fired into Syria had successfully hit Islamic State group targets in retaliation for Tehran attacks claimed by the jihadists earlier this month.

“Based on credible information, the missile operation against Daesh has been successful,” Revolutionary Guards spokesman General Ramezan Sharif said on the elite force’s Sepahnews website, using an Arabic acronym for IS.   Continue reading “Iran says its missiles into Syria hit IS targets”