This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The Supreme Court is being asked to make it easier for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Superior in Wisconsin to run its ministry to help "the most vulnerable members of our society," the poor, elderly, disabled and vulnerable.

The Wisconsin state Supreme Court, which has a majority of leftists at this point, said in a 4-3 decision that such a ministry did not count as a "typical" religious activity.

If that ruling stands, the state then would force Catholic Charities into the state-controlled unemployment compensation program and prevent the organization from joining the better, and less costly, program run by the Wisconsin Catholic Church.

The case is Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor &I Industry Review Commission.

With the help of Becket, the charities organization is asking the Supreme Court to overturn the state ruling and protect its freedom to join the church program.

Becket explained, "Most Catholic dioceses have a social ministry arm that serves those in need. Catholic Charities carries out this important work for the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, by helping the disabled, elderly, and those living in poverty – regardless of their faith. This requirement to serve everyone in need comes directly from Catholic social teaching and advances the Church's religious mission by carrying out the corporal works of mercy."

"Catholic Charities Bureau carries out our diocese's essential ministry of caring for the most vulnerable members of our society," explained James Powers, bishop for the diocese. "We pray the court will recognize that this work of improving the human condition is rooted in Christ's call to care for those in need."

Becket pointed out that under Wisconsin law, non-profits that are operated for a religious purpose are generally exempt from the state's unemployment compensation program.

However, the state's court decision claimed that Catholic Charities is not exempt because it serves anyone in need, and does not limit its help to only Catholics.

"The court said that Catholic Charities could qualify for an exemption only if it limited its hiring to Catholics and tried to convert those it served – even though the Catholic Church forbids Catholics from conditioning assistance on acceptance of the church's teachings," Becket said.

Catholic Charities is now asking the Supreme Court to take this case and ensure it can receive a religious exemption from the state law like all other churches in Wisconsin.

"It shouldn't take a theologian to understand that serving the poor is a religious duty for Catholics," said Becket spokesman Eric Rassbach. "But the Wisconsin Supreme Court embraced the absurd conclusion that Catholic Charities has no religious purpose. We're asking the Supreme Court to step in and fix that mistake."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A company that operates election vote counting machines and was put on defense during the 2020 presidential race in the United States with claims of wrong results now has had one of its officials indicted for allegedly bribing election officials in the Philippines to keep and expand its business there.

Business Insider reported the accusations including bribery and money laundering.

A number of theories arose during the 2020 election about whether vote counts were being manipulated. Smartmatic responded with lawsuits against those making the suggestions, while the defendants have argued that scandal, not defamation, caused the company to lose money.

But now American prosecutors allege Smartmatic's president is guilty of the scheming that happened in the Philippines.

It is Roger Alejandro Piñate Martinez, president and cofounder of Smartmatic, who is accused of faking invoices and contracts in the late 2010s to help pay $1 million to Andres Bautista, the former head of the Phillippine elections commission, the DOJ charged.

The company's name was all over doubts about the 2020 election, the Business Insider report said, "when allies of then-President Donald Trump falsely accused it — and rival election technology company Dominion Voting Systems — of rigging votes to benefit now-President Joe Biden."

The report noted, "In reality, Smartmatic's technology was used in only one county during the 2020 election, in Los Angeles. But the indictment can still help Fox News, Newsmax, and other defendants in Smartmatic's many defamation lawsuits."

The Business Insider explained, "According to the Justice Department, Piñate, along with another Smartmatic employee, laundered the funds by inflating the cost of each voting machine used in the 2016 Philippine election. The bribery scheme spanned bank accounts in Asia, Europe, and Florida, where the case was brought, prosecutors say."

Through the bribery of Bautista — a codefendant in the case — Smartmatic retained and expanded its election services in the 2016 election, prosecutors say.

The company, in a statement, explained, "No voter fraud has been alleged and Smartmatic is not indicted."

The company has still-pending lawsuits against Fox News, Newsmax, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, and others. Some of the legal actions are being paid for by Democrat donors.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

'And I want to hold those two truths at the same time. The folks you see out there at Brooklyn Center are in trauma and they're rightfully angry at a system that does not serve them and puts black youth and people of color at risk.'

Those rioters that hit and destroyed entire city blocks in Minnesota cities – and other cities around the nation? Those who turned to vandalism, arson, and worse?

They were "rightfully angry," according to Tim Walz, now Kamala Harris' pick to be vice president.

It was in an interview with WCCO that Walz was asked if the state was going to be ok if businesses were "going to go down."

It was at a time when rioters were destroying everything in their path.

"I would tell Minnesotans that we are doing everything in our power to do that," he said.

"And I want to hold those two truths at the same time. The folks you see out there at Brooklyn Center are in trauma and they're rightfully angry at a system that does not serve them and puts black youth and people of color at risk."

He said, "That is all true. We also know from experience in May that some will exploit that."

The Brooklyn center area of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Twin Cities has been wracked by violence multiple times, including when George Floyd, a black, died at the hands of a white police officer who was restraining him. Those responsible for his death later were convicted and sentenced.

There have been other times in that community where violence has erupted over other incidents, too.

It happened when Floyd was killed, it happened again the next year when there was a shooting at a traffic stop and looting and rioting erupted again.

Both times businesses were "destroyed," according to reports.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

In a resurfaced video clip, the governor states, 'There's no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech and especially around our democracy'

Kamala Harris' pick to be her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, used just eight seconds to reveal he doesn't know the Constitution.

In a resurfaced video clip, since he was picked by Harris this week, he states, "There's no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech and especially around our democracy"

It was part of a longer interview with the leftist MSNBC a year ago.

The Constitution and the court precedents it has inspired do not allow for censorship of speech that someone considers "hate" or speech that someone considers "misinformation."

Speech that is restricted is that which would threaten inspire or call for violence.

A large part of the problem is that leftists have demanded that it is their opinion about what constitutes hate speech or misinformation or disinformation or misinformation that must be the controlling standard, when in fact their definitions are nothing more than their own opinions about speech.

Online commenters quickly corrected the Democrat:

"He's wrong. The First Amendment is precisely to protect unpopular speech."

"Look I'm no constitution expert but…uh…yes there IS a guarantee to free speech on those things. Very much so. Walz is terrifying."

"'You have full freedom of speech, as long as you stick to the approved topics and opinions.' I… don't think that's how it works."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Federal authorities say they have jailed a Pakistani man who is accused of working on a plot to assassinate a politician "or U.S. government officials," in an announcement that is more foreboding because of the recent attempt to shoot President Donald Trump at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally.

That attempt, by a 20-year-old sniper who was shot and killed by police, failed. But the repercussions from the events that day already have cost the Secret Service chief her job and triggered multiple investigations into how America's elite program to protect leaders failed so badly.

The new scheme may or may not have targeted a particular individual, but a statement from the U.S. attorney's office in eastern New York explains a complaint was unsealed on Tuesday accusing Asif Merchant, aka "Asif Raza Merchant," 46, of a murder-for-hire plot.

"Law enforcement foiled the charged plot before any attack could be carried out. Merchant is in federal custody in New York," authorities reported.

The plotter allegedly was trying to repay America for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, a terror leader who was destroyed on the orders of Trump while he was in the White House.

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace explained, "Working on behalf of others overseas, Merchant planned the murder of U.S. government officials on American soil. This prosecution demonstrates that this office and the entire Department of Justice will take swift and decisive action to protect our nation's security, our government officials and our citizens from foreign threats."

FBI chief Christopher Wray added, "This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today's charges allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook. A foreign-directed plot to kill a public official, or any U.S. citizen, is a threat to our national security and will be met with the full might and resources of the FBI."

According to case documents, federal authorities explained, "Merchant orchestrated a plot to assassinate a politician or U.S. government officials on U.S. soil. In approximately April 2024, after spending time in Iran, Merchant arrived in the United States from Pakistan and contacted a person he believed could assist him with the scheme. That person reported Merchant's conduct to law enforcement and became a confidential source (the CS)."

In June Merchant met with the confidential source and said his plan was for an "ongoing" series of attacks.

"Merchant then made a 'finger gun' motion with his hand, indicating that the opportunity was related to a killing. Merchant further stated that the intended victims would be 'targeted here,' meaning in the United States. Merchant instructed the CS to arrange meetings with individuals whom Merchant could hire to carry out these actions," the federal officials reported.

They also reported Merchant discussed how a person would die, and promised he would communicate from overseas in code.

Merchant also said he had discussed his agenda with a "party" overseas and he was told to "finalize" the plan and then leave the U.S.

A report at the Gateway Pundit said, "FBI investigators believe that the intended targets of the plot included Trump and other current and former U.S. government officials, according to a U.S. official briefed on the matter, per CNN."

The shooter who tried to assassinate President Trump in late July, Thomas Matthew Crooks, apparently had no connection to the latest threat.

"Secret Service learned of the increased threat from this threat stream," one official told CNN. "NSC directly contacted USSS at a senior level to be absolutely sure they continued to track the latest reporting. USSS shared this information with the detail lead, and the Trump campaign was made aware of an evolving threat. In response to the increased threat, Secret Service surged resources and assets for the protection of former President Trump."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Ever since former President Donald Trump selected Sen. JD Vance as his 2024 running mate, Democrats have been calling the Ohio Republican "weird."

Now, the senator is firing back on national television.

On "Sunday Morning Futures" on the Fox News Channel, anchor Maria Bartiromo asked Vance directly about the W-word:

"What do you say about this new strategy to call you 'weird' from the Democrats?" Bartiromo posed.

Vance responded: "I think that it's a lot of projection, frankly, Maria, from people who want to give transgender hormones to 9-year-old kids and want biological males to play in women's sports.

"Look, I'm a husband, I'm a father, I'm happily married, and I love my life, and I'm doing this because I want to be a good public servant who fixes the problems of the Democrats.

"They can call me whatever they want to. The middle-school taunts don't bother me. What bothers me and what offends me is what Kamala Harris has done to this country over three-and-a-half years.

"She's opened up the American southern border, she cast the deciding vote on things that caused skyrocketing inflation and the affordability crisis.

"I was in Georgia yesterday. They have a terrible housing-affordability problem in the state of Georgia because Kamala Harris shot interest rates through the roof and then she welcomed in millions of illegal aliens to compete with Americans for scarce homes.

"I don't care what they call me. I just wish they would stop screwing opportunity country, and because I don't think they're able to do that themselves, President Trump and I are going to beat them in November."

Bartiromo then pointed out the flip-flops of Harris when it comes to fracking in America, having pushed for bans on the energy-production practice.

Vance explained: "Well, she said she wanted to ban fracking and also ban offshore drilling, Maria. Of course, Kamala Harris hasn't answered a media question in 14 days, since becoming the presumptive nominee of the Democrat Party, which, by the way, is a scandal all its own.

"If you want to lead this country, you should have to stand before the press, the free press, and answer questions, sometimes hostile questions, as President Trump and I have.

"We know the source of their environmental policies, the source of their energy policies is this crazy idea that if we ship more and more manufacturing and more and more energy production to China, that's somehow going to be good for the environment and good for the American consumer. It doesn't make an ounce of sense, Maria.

"If you do more in China, China is the dirtiest economy in the entire world. If you do more in America, you help the environment. You also lower the cost of goods for American citizens. It is a win-win to manufacture and drill more in the United States of America.

"Kamala Harris' policies don't make environmental sense, they don't make basic economic sense, but she has been on the record defending them for years, again, because she is a radical. This is who she is. And as much as her aides are running from her record, Kamala Harris at the least should stand before the American people and answer some tough questions."

Vance responded: "I think whoever she chooses the problem is going to be Kamala Harris' record and Kamala Harris' policies. The American people are suffering because Kamala Harris keeps on making bad decisions. I don't care who she chooses as a running mate.

"It's not going to be good for the country, and we're ready, meaning President Trump and I are ready, to take the case to the American people. Donald Trump delivered peace, he delivered prosperity.

"Kamala Harris has delivered an open border and skyrocketing inflation. It's just not a hard argument to make, but we're going to make it as aggressively and persuasively as we can to the American people for about the next 95 or so days."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Have you ever wondered if the ballots you fill out and send by mail make it to the proper election destination in time to be counted?

A troubling new report by the federal government is raising serious concerns.

The U.S. Postal Service, or USPS, actually failed to deliver election and political mail on time between 2% and 3% of the time during the 2024 primaries.

Now, the chief watchdog of the service is going somewhat postal, warning some mailed ballots might be delayed or not even counted in the upcoming November contests, simply because required procedures are being ignored.

"We found that Postal Service personnel did not always comply with policy and procedures regarding all clear certifications, Election and Political Mail logs, and audit checklists," warned the inspector general of the Postal Service this week.

"In addition, we identified processes and policies that could pose a risk of delays in the processing and delivery of Election and Political Mail."

"Further, we identified issues related to some Delivering for America operational changes that pose a risk of individual ballots not being counted."

The watchdog is issuing ten recommendations to improve performance for this fall's contests but also noted USPS managers objected to two proposed solutions.

"Opportunities exist for the Postal Service to improve readiness for timely processing and delivery of Election and Political Mail for the 2024 general election," the report concluded.

It took special note that a massive percentage of workers it audited at 15 mail facilities and 35 delivery units were following the rules and procedures.

"We found 12 of 15 (80 percent) mail processing facilities did not complete all clear certifications according to policy," the report indicated.

The inspector general discovered ballots were processed on time only on an average of 97.01 percent of the time, while ballots returned to election-counting centers were processed about 98.17% of the time.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Kamala Harris, installed by the Democrat party's elites as their presidential candidate after they effectively threw a mentally declining Joe Biden under the bus, is working hard to make herself into a viable candidate, with viable positions on major issues.

In that pursuit, she's changed as many as four of her well-known agenda points in only a day.

And she's earned herself the nickname "Kamala Chameleon."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

There's probably no one who gets a paycheck in America who hasn't felt the sting of the horrible economy under the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration. The millionaires and billionaires are about the only ones not suffering – yet.

There's been inflation higher than 20% since President Donald Trump turned over a 1.4% inflation rate to the Democrats.

The annual inflation reached 9% at one point. Interest rates have rocketed, putting home ownership out of reach for many. Grocery bills have exploded, utilities have multiplied, and more. Multiple assessments have confirmed it costs families thousands and thousands of dollars more now to have the same lifestyle they had under Trump.

But this week's horrific jobs report is Trump's fault.

That's according to presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris,

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Friday the nation added 114,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in July.

That surged the unemployment rate to 4.3%.

A report from the Daily Caller News Foundation noted, "Economists anticipated that the country would add 175,000 jobs in July compared to the 206,000 added in initial estimates for June and that the unemployment rate would remain stable at 4.1%, according to U.S. News and World Report."

It continued, "Inflation has raised prices by more than 20% since President Joe Biden first took office in January 2021. The combination of high inflation and the increased borrowing costs from elevated interest rates have weighed on American wallets, with the percentage of credit card balances more than 60 days overdue reaching 2.59% in the first quarter, the highest rate of delinquency since records began in 2012."

Fox News noted Harris's explanation is to blame someone who hasn't been in power in Washington since January 2021.

"Donald Trump failed Americans as president, costing our economy millions of jobs, and bringing us to the brink of recession," Harris for President spokesperson James Singer said in the report.

"Now, he's promising even more damage with a Project 2025 agenda that will decimate the middle class and increase taxes on working families, while ripping away health care, raising prescription drug costs, and cutting Social Security and Medicare — all while making his billionaire donors richer."

The fact is Trump had no part in developing Project 2025, and in fact, has distanced himself from the plan.

Singer claimed Harris and Biden have "made significant progress, but Vice President Harris knows there's more work to do to lower costs for families."

The BLS report triggered a stock market fall, with Dow futures down some 500 points, meaning Americans' retirement accounts took a huge hit based on the results of the Biden-Harris administration's policies.

A Trump campaign press secretary pointed out, "Kamala Harris has proudly and repeatedly celebrated her role as Joe Biden's co-pilot on 'Bidenomics,' She cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate for spending that put inflation on steroids, and despite the evidence that America's working families are hurting, she tells us these failed plans are working.

"The necessities of food, gas, and housing are less affordable, unemployment is rising, and Kamala doesn't seem to care," she said.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Cheree Peoples' daughter Shayla has sickle cell anemia and during the 2013 school year missed 20 days of classes because of chronic pain.

So Kamala Harris, then the prosecuting attorney there in California, sent her to jail.

Peoples publicly opposed Harris' failed bid for the Democratic nomination for president when she launched a short-lived campaign for the 2020 vote, and again is online with her warning, as Harris appears to be the Democratic Party's replacement for the mentally failing Joe Biden.