This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief
American-Israeli IDF soldier Omer Neutra confirmed dead in Hamas captivity
The IDF announced the death of Cpt. Omer Maxim Neutra, 21, who was killed and abducted by Hamas on Oc. 7, 2023.
Neutra, a so-called lone soldier from New York, served as a tank-platoon commander in the 7th Armored Brigade's 77th Battalion.
Until now, it had been believed that Neutra was alive and being held hostage.
IDF reservist's top 10 takeaways from Gaza
1. The IDF is winning, and needs to be allowed to win
Compared to their operations during my first tour at the end of 2023, there is a sense that Hamas is collapsing. The terrorist organization once fielded ambush cells that conducted frequent hit-and-run anti-tank missile attacks and ambushes from a wide network of bunkers and tunnels for a guerrilla defense-in-depth strategy.
Trump meets with Sara Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago
The wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sara, met with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago Golf Club late on Sunday. Trump's media adviser posted a photo of the two on X.
Sara Netanyahu was in Miami for a 20-day visit with her son Yair, who has been living there since the start of the Oct. 7 war.
Iranian-backed Iraqi militias enter Syria to bolster Assad regime
Arab sources reported Sunday that pro-Iranian militia reinforcements arrived in eastern Syria, where they met with advisers from Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps. Later, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in Damascus for meetings with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Jerusalem keeps watchful eye over developments in rapidly deteriorating situation in Syria
Israel is constantly monitoring the situation in Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, after Sunni jihadist rebels over the weekend took control of Aleppo, the country's second-largest city.
"We are determined to both protect the vital interests of the State of Israel and preserve the achievements of the war," Netanyahu told Israel Defense Forces recruits at the Tel Hashomer induction center in Ramat Gan.
Muslim gunman, who allegedly shot Jewish Chicagoan, found dead in cell after apparent suicide
Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, a 22-year-old Muslim migrant from Muritania, who shot a religious Jew while he was walking to synagogue, and planned attacks against Jews in Chicago , was found lifeless in a city prison after an apparent suicide attempt, according to the local sheriff's office.
Dubai rabbi's killers said to be planning attack in Thailand
The terrorist enterprise responsible for the murder of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan in Dubai is planning fresh attacks in southeast Asia and especially Thailand, Israeli authorities warned on Saturday.
"Intelligence suggests that the terrorist infrastructure that perpetrated the murder of Rabbi Tvzi Kogan in Dubai is planning additional terrorist activities," according to a statement by Israel's National Security Council. "Relevant security forces estimate this will happen in southeast Asia and especially Thailand," the statement read.
IAF fighters surround Iranian plane suspected of delivering weapons to Hezbollah, force mid-air turnaround
An Iranian flight suspected to be ferrying arms to the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force over Syria overnight between Saturday and Sunday.
IAF fighter jets intercepted the Iranian plane over Syria and ordered it to turn around, and it did a short while later, a defense source said.
Ben Gvir orders Israel Police to prevent mosques from broadcasting Islamic calls to prayer over loudspeakers
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir instructed the Israel Police to prevent mosques from broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer over loudspeakers, he confirmed in a statement posted to X on Sunday.
"I have received dozens of complaints from residents in mixed [Jewish-Arab] cities," Ben-Gvir said in the statement. He added, "As they do in Europe, as they do in every civilized country in the world, as they do in Arab countries, we also need to address the issue of noise from mosques."
Ben Gvir reiterates call for Jews to settle Gaza Strip, promote Arabs' voluntary emigration
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said he favored occupying territories in the Gaza Strip and encouraging the voluntary migration of thousands of Gazan residents.
"I am in favor of occupying territories in Gaza, especially after October 7," Ben Gvir said, adding, "Encouraging voluntary immigration and taking territories is the most important thing right now. I am seriously considering moving my family to the Gaza Strip. It is definitely an option that is on the table."
CENTCOM forces defeat Houthi attacks on U.S. Navy and U.S.-flagged ships in Gulf of Aden
U.S. Navy destroyers USS Stockdale and the USS O'Kane successfully defeated a range of Houthi-launched weapons while transiting the Gulf of Aden, Nov. 30 – Dec. 1. The destroyers were escorting three U.S. owned, operated, flagged merchant vessels and the reckless attacks resulted in no injuries and no damage to any vessels, civilian or U.S. Naval.
U.K. announces $9 million bump in UNRWA funding
The $9 million addition in funding for UNRWA, whose activity was recently outlawed in Israel because Jerusalem considers it a Hamas instrument, is meant to address humanitarian needs in Gaza, where winter conditions could worsen living standards. It will come on top of nearly $44 million that the U.K. has already pledged to transfer to UNRWA this year.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Despite pledging he would not do so, Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter on Sunday after the president's son was convicted in two separate federal cases earlier this year.
"Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter," Biden wrote in a statement.
"From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department's decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted."
"Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form. Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently.
"The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election. Then, a carefully negotiated plea deal, agreed to by the Department of Justice, unraveled in the court room – with a number of my political opponents in Congress taking credit for bringing political pressure on the process. Had the plea deal held, it would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter's cases.
"No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong. There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they've tried to break me – and there's no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.
"For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They'll be fair-minded. Here's the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision."
Steven Cheung, a spokesman for President-elect Donald Trump said: "The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system.
"That system of justice must be fixed and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people."
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., slammed the pardon, saying: "Hunter Biden broke gun laws, he broke the FARA Act, and worst of all, he broke the Mann Act by sex trafficking women across the country.
"This pardon is Joe Biden's admission that Hunter is a criminal. Biden tried to throw President Trump's sons in jail, but he lets his son off free even though he's a convict.
"His FBI and DOJ raided Barron's bedroom and Melania's closet at Mar-a-Lago. Joe Biden is a liar and a hypocrite, all the way to the end."
TMZ reported Biden's decision to pardon Hunter was actually made months ago: "We're told Hunter and his legal team felt the second trial – where he was charged with 9 tax-related charges – was winnable. Yet Hunter entered a guilty plea in September, which at the time was puzzling because he and his lawyers felt they'd get a not guilty verdict.
"Our sources – again, with direct knowledge – tell TMZ when the guilty verdict was entered it was done with knowledge that President Biden would pardon him."
Conservative author Ben Shapiro said, "Joe Biden has always been a venal liar who utilized his political power to pursue familial gain. So of course he's pardoning Hunter. He was always going to pardon Hunter. Hunter was the bagman."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
There's been a lot of discussion about the catastrophic failure of the Democrat presidential campaign in 2024. First it was Joe Biden, with his obvious mental lapses apparent for all. Then the party elites tossed him and installed Kamala Harris, who was known mainly for her cackle.
The result was a landslide for President-elect Donald Trump, both in the Electoral College and in the popular vote, and ever since, autopsies of the campaign have been trying to pin down the blame.
Now a former Democrat megadonor, John Morgan, has delivered a stunningly harsh criticism of the entire Democrat effort: That President Trump's son, Barron, is "a lot smarter than everybody in the Harris campaign."
He was explaining how Kamala's scheme was obviously wrong, and the Democrats now are reaping the results, with a GOP White House and GOP majorities in the Senate and House.
His take?
"She thinks she's Obama. She goes to Hawaii because Obama goes to Hawaii. Started talking like Obama. Imitating Obama. She is not Barack Obama. She has no talent."
"She thought all these votes were for her. They were not. The votes that she got were people voting against Trump."
"It turns out that Barron Trump, who looks like a runway model, was telling his father, you need to go on podcasts. You need to go on Joe Rogan. He was three hours late to a rally because he was doing Joe Rogan because that was so important. So Barron Trump is a lot smarter than everyone in the Harris campaign."
Kamala, he said, "should go away and never, ever come back."
Social media was littered with those in agreement, and even a few who turned sarcastic: "This is ridiculous Kamala was great and definitely needs to be the 2028 standard bearer. Dude needs to look in the mirror. It was the donors who failed Kamala. She just needed two Billion."
In fact, Kamala raised at least a billion dollars for her campaign, and still ended up in debt, as her fundraising continues even now.
Morgan's conclusion, "If you can't run your campaign you damn sure can't run a country."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
If it seemed like a lot of the various "enforcement" actions by the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration put a bull's-eye on Christians, it was because they did.
A report from Fox News explains how an assessment by the American Principles Project showed that "nearly 70% of enforcement actions executed by" the Biden-Harris Education Department "targeted faith-based and career schools."
Among those under attack were Christian colleges Grand Canyon University and Liberty University.
The APP explained it drew on data that found almost three in four of the Department of Education's punishment schemes focused on that segment of all schools, even though "those schools represent less than 10 percent of students in the U.S."
The project concluded, "While major assaults from agencies like the Department of Justice have taken most of the headlines, we should not ignore similarly corrupt efforts in other agencies as well," explained Jon Schweppe, the APP policy director.
"As our report details, the Biden-Harris Department of Education has been engaged in a long-running scheme to punish Christian colleges that are ideologically opposed to the left's agenda. The unfair targeting of these institutions has been egregious, and it needs to stop immediately."
The Biden-Harris regime, of course, is scheduled to lose its main power in just a few weeks, and its remaining power will be the bureaucrats and policies it leaves behind, all subject to change by the income administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Both Grand Canyon and Liberty "faced record-level fines worth significantly more than 'all penalties imposed over the past seven years combined,' including fines imposed on Penn State ($2.4 million) and Michigan State ($4.5 million) relating to Jerry Sandusky and Larry Nassar's sexual crimes," the report said.
Grand Canyon currently is appealing a $37.7 million fine levied by the Department of Education on claims about its documentation of costs.
And Miguel Cardona, a Biden-Harris regime education secretary, "vowed to shut down GCU during a House Appropriations Committee hearing about for-profit colleges. The Biden administration official claimed that 'predatory schools' are 'preying on first generation students,'" the report said.
The report documented that at least a dozen Christian colleges have been abused with "excessive penalties" or by being "banned from receiving federal student aid."
"The average fine against a Christian school for a Clery Act violation was $815,000, compared to $228,571 against public and private institutions," the report said.
Fox explained just one of the attacks, and how the Biden-Harris administration lost that fight:
The report comes after GCU recently scored a legal win over the ED regarding the Christian institution's non-profit status. ED denied GCU's nonprofit recognition after it was approved by the Arizona Board for Private Postsecondary Education, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the State of Arizona, and the Higher Learning Commission. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that the ED unlawfully applied an incorrect standard to determine the university's nonprofit status.
A federal official claimed to Fox that a school's religious status doesn't make a difference in the department's enforcement actions.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Democrats in America suffered a stunning political loss in the 2024 presidential race.
President-elect Donald Trump not only won the Electoral College in a landslide, but also the popular vote – by many millions of votes.
The response from losers has been outrage, insult, fantasy and now criminal actions.
A statement from the Trump campaign cited the most recent response: threats and "swatting" against Trump nominees.
This follows at least two failed assassination attempts against Trump in the weeks leading up to the election. In one of those, a sniper hit Trump in the ear before being shot and killed by law enforcement. A second assassination attempt suspect is in custody.
"Last night and this morning, several of President Trump's Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them. These attacks ranged from bomb threats to 'swatting.' In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action," the campaign said.
"President Trump and the Transition are focused on doing the work of uniting our nation by ensuring a safe and prosperous future. With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us," said Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance Transition spokeswoman.
"Swatting" is when someone falsely reports a dangerous situation to law enforcement, prompting officers, armed, to respond, with the goal of causing harm to the "swatting" target.
Democrats already publicly have called for a "shadow government" to be assembled, a coalition of Democrat officials to "act" in ways that oppose the Trump agenda, which will be addressed by Republican majorities in the House and Senate.
Hollywood celebrities have essentially called a majority of Americans dumb and stupid for their votes for Trump, and Democrat legislators have fantasized about seceding from America and joining Canada as a province.
The Federalist reports that the Biden-Harris regime is trying to sabotage Trump's presidency during its final few weeks in power.
"After their major election loss, Democrats are doubling down on their worldview by trying to save the monstrous deep state they have been building for decades and making sure their own ranks still fall in line with radical social policies," the report said.
"As President Joe Biden prepares to leave office, he and his party are scrambling to undermine one of President-elect Donald Trump's campaign promises: cull the odious deep state. Biden is reportedly being pushed by his party to bolster the federal bureaucracy in the waning weeks of his presidency. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., said the Biden administration has already done some 'scenario planning,' as it attempts to 'fortify the Justice Department, the intelligence agencies and other offices in Trump's crosshairs.'"
Further, Biden recently has approved Ukraine's use of American weapons to launch attacks inside Russia in the war between those entities, radically escalating that conflict in a move that could trigger a nuclear response.
The report explained, "The Trump transition appears poised to fulfill campaign promises to break apart the intelligence apparatus with the nomination of former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, as director of national intelligence, cut out the far-left rot at the top levels the military by firing activist generals, appoint an attorney general prepared to stop the weaponization of the Department of Justice, and substantially dismantle the federal bureaucracy both with the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency and the appointment of Russ Vought to helm the Office of Management and Budget."
The Democrats now, the report said, want "Biden to sign a barrage of executive orders in his last days, alter union contracts of federal workers to make them even harder to fire, ram through far-left judges, blow open government funding of projects already approved by Congress before the can be stopped, and finalize federal rulemaking."
While the Trump statement didn't include details, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., confirmed she was targeted.
"This morning, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, her husband, and their three year old son were driving home to Saratoga County from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence. New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism.
"We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7. We want to share our best wishes to the Upstate NY community for a happy and safe Thanksgiving. We are especially grateful to our law enforcement officers and military families who are on duty over the holiday season."
Others targeted include: Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, CIA Director nominee John Ratcliffe, and Agriculture Secretary nominee Brooke Rollins.
The FBI released a statement indicating it's "aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents" targeting Trump's nominees.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A new video has been released by Democrats, the self-described party "fighting for a better, fairer, and brighter future" of a defeated, clearly disconsolate, Kamala Harris.
She tells her party to keep their power, don't let anyone take it.
And it triggers a long list of commenters questioning her sobriety.
"Have you been drinking?" from Kevin Sorbo.
Jack Posobiec, "She's hosed."
Clown World, "She sounds and looks extremely drunk."
AKA, "Is putting her on when she's clearly drunk really appropriate?"
Vince Langman, "Someone, please take that drunk to an AA meeting fast."
Meme artists immediately jumped into action:
Added Gunther Eagleman, "Be honest… Is she drunk?"
And another, "@TheDemocrats – you might want to make sure she's not drunk before making these videos."
Oreo Express, "She's taking the loss harder than I thought. How much has she had to drink?"
Bethany S. Mandel. "Why would you release a video in which she's this drunk?"
Some suggestions were that the video was released by a staff that clearly hated her, and wanted to portray her in a way that she never would be able to run again.
The video immediately went through the various "adjustment" processes that tech now offers.
As far as keeping power, the Republicans soon will have the White House, the House and the Senate.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief
Iran's supreme leader calls for death sentences on Israel's leaders, not arrest warrants
Iran's supreme leader after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant last week over the war in Gaza.
Report: Israel said to agree to Lebanon ceasefire in principle
Israel has agreed in principle to a U.S.-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now working on how to present it to the public, according to multiple reports Sunday night, Netanyahu held high-level consultations on the matter.
UAE nabs the three Uzbek murderers of Chabad rabbi, reports suggest suspects were captured outside of UAE
The Emirati interior ministry announced on Sunday night that it has arrested "the three perpetrators involved in the murder of Zvi Kogan, a Moldovan national according to his identification documents at the time of entry into the UAE, where he lived as a resident."
White House condemns killing of Chabad rabbi in Abu Dhabi
The White House on Sunday issued a statement in which it condemned the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, the Chabad emissary to Abu Dhabi.
Israelis warned against travel to Thailand, authorities tell those already there to keep low profile
On Nov. 12, the government "called on Israelis currently in Thailand to increase their awareness and pay attention to updates from the NSC due to emerging potential threat to Israelis in the country," the council stated. "Roughly two weeks later, in light of the continued threats, the NSC raised the travel threat level to level two and is recommending to exercise increased caution."
Col. Kemp: 'ICC has shown it cannot be salvaged'
According to Col. Richard Kemp, the former commander of the British military forces in Afghanistan, "Issuing an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu in 2024 is like issuing an arrest warrant for Winston Churchill in 1944. The Nazis branded Churchill a war criminal back then and of course the most enthusiastic supporters of the ICC accusations are the modern-day Nazis, Iran and Hamas."
Iran to meet European diplomats amid escalating nuclear tensions
Iranian diplomats will meet with their British, French, and German counterparts on Nov. 29 to discuss Tehran's nuclear program, Iran's foreign ministry said Sunday, just days after the U.N.'s atomic watchdog passed a resolution condemning Tehran's lack of cooperation.
The resolution, sponsored by the three European powers and the U.S., a bloc otherwise known as the Quad, was adopted by the 35-member International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors last Thursday.
Israel strikes 12 Hezbollah command centers in Lebanon
The Israeli Air Force struck a dozen Hezbollah command centers in the Iranian terror proxy's stronghold in Dahieh south of Beirut on Sunday night.
Ben Gvir decries accepting Lebanon ceasefire as 'historic missed opportunity'
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir tells Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reject a U.S.-backed proposal for a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, calling it "a grave mistake."
In a post on X, the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit leader warns that accepting the ceasefire deal would mean missing out on a "historic" opportunity to destroy the Iranian-backed terrorist group.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., has voiced his support for President-elect Donald Trump should he choose, after he takes office, to use parts of the U.S. military to remove illegal aliens from the nation.
The senator said, "I support the president," when he specifically was asked about using the military to work on the massive deportation problem that is being left behind by the border mismanagement by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
"We have a national security crisis in this country right now because of our open border, and when he declares it a national emergency, he can appropriately use the military," the senator said in an interview with Fox News. "There are over 10 million illegal immigrants in the country right now.
"We are talking about drug dealers, people in criminal cartels. These are folks who have actually been murdering, raping, poisoning American citizens. When you take a look at the president's magnificent victory, the decisive victory, I think it's because people were scared about all of these people in the country illegally. People want to feel safe in their own homes," he said.
A report in the Daily Wire pointed out that, "Barrasso correctly noted that the overwhelming majority of the American public supports Trump conducting mass deportations."
The senator criticized those "big city mayors and governors" who want to run a "sanctuary" operation to defy federal law.
They, "unbelievably, are more concerned about the rights, the so called rights of illegal immigrants than they are about the safety of their own citizens," he cautioned.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., says he supports Trump's plan for mass deportations, but not using the military for it, "because it's illegal."
"We've had a distrust of putting the army into our streets," he says, calling for deportations "through the normal process of domestic policing."
"I will not support and will not vote to use the military in our cities. I think it's a terrible image."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Kash Patel, the former Department of Defense chief of staff who is reportedly on President-elect Donald Trump's short list to be the next director of the FBI, is now sounding the alarm about the current time period before Trump is inaugurated, leaving Joe Biden and the Deep State in charge.
"Right now is, I think in my opinion, the most dangerous time, the sort of lame duck period where the president is not acting in the capability that needs to defend this nation," Patel told Maria Bartiromo on "Sunday Morning Futures" on the Fox News Channel.
"And what we need to do is have our leaders of the agencies and departments that were confirmed by the Senate show up and do their job and tell the Senate and the House of Representatives these are our failures, these are our weaknesses, we need help, we need you to respond the in this time of need. And those guys not showing up to the Hill and just deflecting their responsibility shows us how much more danger we're in," he continued.
"We know what President Trump's gonna do, but he's 54 days away from taking the oath of office. Right now, we need the United States of America to remind those agencies and department leaders that they work for us, and the mandate that President Trump was given was to protect our borders, to make sure CCP fentanyl doesn't kill our children, to the end the forever wars, to return our hostages, and make sure American global diplomacy is in great hands when President Trump is sent to the to Oval Office on January 20th. And we must respect the will and power of Congress, I cannot stress that enough.
"The constitutional oversight responsibilities of the United States House of Representatives and the Senate has been lost by the leaders of the Deep State in Washington, D.C., and I think President Trump is going to restore that with his selections and his nominees."
Bartiromo noted, "Unfortunately, the public has also lost trust in a number of these agencies."
She then asked Patel how he believes Americans "will regain trust in our most important law-enforcement agencies?"
"One thing: exposure of corruption," Patel replied. "Put out the documents, put out the evidence. We only have gotten half way down the Russiagate hole. The people need to know their FBI is restored by knowing full well what they did to unlawfully surveil them.
"The people need to know there's been a deweaponization, a defanging of the Department of Justice and their houses of worship will no longer be raided, but they need to be shown the documents that said this was the reasoning they weaponized justice.
"And that, in my opinion, is how Congress can most importantly secure the trust or resecure the trust of these agencies and departments. President Trump is taking a huge first step with his monumental victory.
"Now it's up to Congress and the Senate to work with his leaders at DOJ and FBI to put out those documents, and I think DOGE goes a long way in that. But we're going to need Cabinet secretaries who say we don't fear the corruption that preceded us. It will make us powerful if we expose it to the American public."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Colorado taxpayers are being stung with a $1.5 million bill they will have to pay for their leaders' anti-Christian ideology.
It's the settlement that the state is required to pay after losing its war – at the U.S. Supreme Court – on the Christian faith of artist Lorie Smith.
She runs her own design studio, 303 Creative, specializing in graphic and website design.
"She left the corporate design world to start her own small business in 2012 so she could use her skills to promote causes consistent with her beliefs and close to her heart, such as supporting children with disabilities, the beauty of marriage, overseas missions, animal shelters, and veterans," the ADF explained.
"She was excited to expand her portfolio to create websites that celebrate marriage between a man and a woman, but Colorado made clear she's not welcome in that space."
In fact, Colorado leftists imposed a law that would have required her to promote same-sex duos if she also did wedding site designs.
But that would violate her faith.
The law, in fact, was intended to censor what she wants to say and requires her to create designs that violate her beliefs about marriage, the legal team explained.
"She enjoys working with people from all walks of life, but, like most artists, can't promote every message."
The payment by the state is to finish a lawsuit brought by ADF lawyers, and is to cover attorneys' fees.
The Supreme Court scolded the state for its agenda to violate the First Amendment in its attack on Smith.
After the Supreme Court ruling, a district court's final judgment requires the state and its officials to comply with the First Amendment.
The ADF explained, "Colorado officials threatened and censored Smith's speech for nearly seven years before she was victorious at the high court. They have also relentlessly pursued other Colorado artists—like cake designer Jack Phillips—for years, filing complaints against him for expressing only messages consistent with his religious beliefs."
"The government can't force Americans to say things they don't believe, and Colorado officials have paid and will continue to pay a high price when they violate this foundational freedom," said the ADF's Kristen Waggoner.
"For the past 12 years, Colorado has targeted people of faith and forced them to express messages that violate their conscience and that advance the government's preferred ideology. First Amendment protections are non-negotiable. Billions of people around the world believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman and that men and women are biologically distinct. No government has the right to silence individuals for expressing these ideas or to punish those who decline to express different views.
"Political and cultural winds shift, but the freedom to speak without fear of censorship is a God-given constitutionally guaranteed right, essential for a flourishing society and self-governing people."