Source: New York Subpoenas Every Catholic Diocese in the State

/0 Comments/in , /by

The New York attorney general’s office has issued civil subpoenas to all eight of the state’s Roman Catholic dioceses, a law enforcement source told Reuters, as investigations into sexual abuse allegations within the Catholic Church gain steam across the country.

The unidentified source revealed these subpoenas were part of an ongoing investigation into dioceses’ review processes and potential cover-ups of alleged sex crimes committed by Catholic priests, Reuters reported.

“The Attorney General’s Charities Bureau has launched a civil investigation into how the dioceses and other church entities — which are non-profit institutions — reviewed and potentially covered up allegations of extensive sexual abuse of minors,” the attorney general’s announcement read.

New York is among the growing number of states across the nation that have begun investigations into claims and cover-ups of sex crimes in the church.

More have also begun to consider pulling secret and/or decades-old files from the dioceses for review as well, according to The Washington Post.

The Associated Press reported that following the issuing of subpoenas in New York, New Jersey announced a criminal task force Thursday that will look into the handling of abuse allegations in its seven dioceses.

“We owe it to the people of New Jersey to find out whether the same thing happened here,” New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement. “If it did, we will take action against those responsible.”

The Post reported that New Mexico began its investigation this week, and Nebraska and Missouri may soon follow suit.

Last month, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the results of a grand jury report on a two-year investigation that uncovered records stating that, over 70 years, nearly 1,000 people, mainly children, had been sexually abused by over 300 priests in six of the state’s dioceses.

The shocking announcement has caused many in the church to demand criminal investigations. According to the statement by New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, it compelled officials to take action in New York.

“The Pennsylvania grand jury report shined a light on incredibly disturbing and depraved acts by Catholic clergy, assisted by a culture of secrecy and cover ups in the dioceses,” Underwood said Thursday in her announcement.

“Victims in New York deserve to be heard as well — and we are going to do everything in our power to bring them the justice they deserve.”

Joseph Zwilling, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of New York, said it would be as cooperative as possible as the investigation moves forward.

“Not only do we provide any information they seek, they also notify us as well when they learn of an allegation of abuse, so that, even if they cannot bring criminal charges, we might investigate and remove from ministry any cleric who has a credible and substantiated allegation of abuse,” he said.

So far, the Diocese of Buffalo has agreed to cooperate with the investigation by the New York State attorney general or district attorney, Reuters reported.

Victim hotlines have been set up in New York and New Jersey to assist officials as the investigations begin. (For more from the author of “Source: New York Subpoenas Every Catholic Diocese in the State” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Stanford Study Finds Conservative Professors Shunned by Law Schools

/0 Comments/in , /by

A researcher at Stanford University has confirmed what many have suspected for some time: conservative law professors are being discriminated against at the nation’s most elite law schools.

The study was recently published by James C. Phillips, a non-resident Fellow with the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School. The findings seem to indicate that conservative-leaning law professors are facing discrimination at top-tier law schools in ways distinct from their liberal counterparts.

Titled “Testing a Beckerian-Arrowian Model of Political Orientation Discrimination on the U.S. Law Professor Labor Market: Measuring the ‘Rank Gap’, 2001-2010”, Phillips’ research concludes that “conservative and libertarian law professors are underrepresented in top-tier legal academia, whether compared to the American population overall, those who graduate from law school, or elite lawyers who look like most law professors.”

Phillips went on to add that the core issue is most likely “not discrimination against conservatives and libertarians so much as discrimination against anyone who is not liberal.”

The study demonstrates that, when looking at the hiring practices of law schools between the years of 2001 and 2010, the three categories of professors labeled “conservative/libertarian”, “liberal”, and “unknown” appear to be unevenly distributed. (Read more from “Stanford Study Finds Conservative Professors Shunned by Law Schools” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Trump Admin Introduces Plan to Close Illegal Alien Family Detention Loophole

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Trump administration introduced Thursday a new set of rules that would allow the long-term detention of illegal immigrant families and terminate the Flores settlement, a court order the White House says is a major “pull factor” for illegal immigration.

If enacted, the rules would give the Department of Homeland Security broad authority to set standards for the detention and care of illegal immigrant families in its custody.

The most significant change in the 200-page proposal, which will be published in the Federal Register on Friday, would permit the government to keep illegal immigrant families in detention until they are deported or win a favorable decision in immigration court.

“Today, legal loopholes significantly hinder the department’s ability to appropriately detain and promptly remove family units that have no legal basis to remain in the country,” DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement. “This rule addresses one of the primary pull factors for illegal immigration and allows the federal government to enforce immigration laws as passed by Congress.”

Current detention policy is governed by the Flores consent decree, a 1997 Supreme Court order that requires the government to release unaccompanied alien children from detention to relatives or licensed shelters without unnecessary delay. (Read more from “Trump Admin Introduces Plan to Close Illegal Alien Family Detention Loophole” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

College Kicks Nike to the Curb: ‘If Nike Is Ashamed of America, We Are Ashamed of Them’

/0 Comments/in , /by

A new ad by Nike featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been causing quite a stir around the nation. For one college, however, it was the final straw and the educational institution is now cutting ties with the sports apparel company.

According to Yahoo, the private Christian school The College of the Ozarks announced that they will be ending their affiliation with Nike due to the recent ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick.

The new ad features the quarterback with a line that reads, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

Jerry Davis, the president of the college, said that the new ads promote a disrespect for the United States.

“In their new ad campaign, we believe Nike executives are promoting an attitude of division and disrespect toward America,” he said.

“If Nike is ashamed of America, we are ashamed of them,” he continued. “We also believe that those who know what sacrifice is all about are more likely to be wearing a military uniform than an athletic uniform.”

The school’s director of admissions and vice president of patriotic activities Marci Linson echoed the president’s sentiments saying, “Nike is free to campaign as it sees fit, as the college is free, and honor-bound by its mission and goals, to ensure that it respects our country and those who truly served and sacrificed.”

This isn’t the first time the college has made a patriotic stand.

Last year, the school required all of its athletes and coaches to stand for the national anthem. They even went so far as to say that they would refuse to participate in the event if a member of the opposing team knelt for the national anthem.

The decision was named the “No pledge, No play” rule.

That decision, however, required the college to make their own sacrifice when the Division II men’s basketball postseason tournament rolled around.

The school had asked the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes to require players and coaches to stand for the anthem for games conducted on their campus.

The NAIA refused to comply with the request and as a result, the small college stepped down, forfeiting from the tournament.

The school’s president said that they would rather forfeit a game than lose their honor.

At the time, he said, “we’re living in a culture that doesn’t know right from wrong anymore.” (For more from the author of “College Kicks Nike to the Curb: ‘If Nike Is Ashamed of America, We Are Ashamed of Them’” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Catholic Priests Arrested for ‘Lewd and Lascivious Behavior’ Next to Playground

/0 Comments/in , /by

A pair of Illinois priests are facing criminal charges in Florida after police say they were seen engaging in oral sex inside of a car parked on the street earlier this week.

According to WFOR, Miami Beach police officers responded to the call Monday afternoon and caught the two men still engaged in the sexual act.

A police report states 30-year-old Edwin Cortez and 39-year-old Diego Berrio were “in full view of the public passing by on Ocean Drive and the sidewalk.”

The men were identified by authorities as Catholic priests living at the Mission San Juan Diego Parish in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights.

The two men continued the lewd act for a time after police arrived, appearing not to notice the officers’ presence.

“We observed the two males performing the sex act, the officer had to tap on the window to get their attention,” said police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez.

One mother playing with her child at a nearby playground said she was shocked not only by the brazenness of the alleged crime, but the occupation of the suspects.

“The fact that they are priests is above and beyond shocking,” said Candice Parker. “I don’t understand this kind of behavior. They’re supposed to be leading good example and they’re doing exactly the opposite.”

The Archdiocese of Chicago released a statement on Tuesday acknowledging the arrest and announcing the steps it took in response.

“Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, has removed Fr. Berrio from ministry and withdrawn his faculties to minister in the Archdiocese of Chicago, effective immediately,” the statement read. “The archdiocese will appoint an administrator for the Misión San Juan Diego as soon as possible.”

The archdiocese said charges against Cortez were relayed to his home diocese in Columbia, as well as confirmation that he “will not be granted additional faculties to minister in the Archdiocese of Chicago.”

For police, the suspects’ status in the Catholic church will have no bearing on the investigation.

“Their profession is irrelevant, in fact our trouble with this is that this is broad daylight, for anyone to see including children,” Rodrugez said. “There’s a time and a place for everything and this certainly was not the time and place.”

Both suspects are expected to face a misdemeanor charge of lewd and lascivious behavior. Cortez also faces an additional count of indecent exposure.

They were booked into jail after their arrests and have since been released on bond.

“It is our responsibility to ensure those who serve our people are fit for ministry,” the archdiocese said. “We take this matter very seriously and will provide updates as they become available.” (For more from the author of “Catholic Priests Arrested for ‘Lewd and Lascivious Behavior’ Next to Playground” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

School Modifies ‘in God We Trust’ Sign to Appease ‘Offended’ Teachers

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Palm Beach County school district in Florida decided to change the “In God We Trust” signs displayed in its schools to the state seal after complaints from teachers.

The Palm Beach Post reported that a new state law, approved by Republican Gov. Rick Scott in the spring, requires the state motto “In God We Trust” to be displayed in a “conspicuous place” in all the schools in the Sunshine State.

The Palm Beach County district complied with the law by posting boldface printouts of the motto, usually in its schools’ main offices.

According to The Post, some teachers saw the signs as an affront to the separation of church and state.

School administrators decided the district could comply with the law by posting the state seal, which includes the phrase “In God We Trust”

Other Florida counties, including Orange and St. Lucie, have also decided to display the state seal.

Palm Beach County school board member Karen Brill recommended the sign change in her district after teachers told her how St. Lucie County had decided to comply.

“They felt it was inappropriate to have ‘In God We Trust’ (in) the school,” she said. “The teachers were really upset about it.”

She believed posting the seal would be seen as less overtly religious.

“I just don’t think anyone’s offended when they see a state seal,” she said.

The requirement to post the motto “In God We Trust” in all schools came in the aftermath of the Parkland high school shooting in February, which left 17 dead, and 17 others injured.

Jacksonville Democrat Rep. Kim Daniels sponsored the legislation.

“(God) is not a Republican or a Democrat. He is not black or white,” Daniels said in February, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “He is the light, and our schools need light in them like never before.”

Arguing from the floor of the Florida House of Representatives, Daniels said the real issue in the shooting goes beyond the gun law debate and originates in the human heart.

“We cannot put God in a closet when the issues we face are bigger than us,” Daniels said.

The bill passed 97-10 in the House, with the result garnering a standing ovation. It passed the Senate the following month as part of an education bill and was signed into law by the governor in early March. (For more from the author of “School Modifies ‘in God We Trust’ Sign to Appease ‘Offended’ Teachers” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Brown University Silences Research on Transgenderism From One of Their Own Faculty Members

/0 Comments/in , /by

A controversial study on transgenderism is now being suppressed by Brown University.

The results of the recently released study, a culmination of research performed by assistant professor of behavioral and social sciences Lisa Littman, indicates that the pubescent onset of gender dysphoria may be due more to peer pressure and/or internet influence than to biological factors.

Littman’s research on “rapid onset gender dysphoria” was published last month in the highly regarded, peer-reviewed scientific journal PLOS ONE. Parental observations served as the primary basis for the study, which explored situations where “one, multiple, or even all of the friends [in a friend group] have become gender dysphoric and transgender-identified during the same timeframe.” . . .

The study focused on adolescents and young people, primarily girls, who had not previously expressed discomfort with their bodies prior to announcing to their parents that they were transgender.

Littman’s research explores the connection between these children, and whether or not watching YouTube sex-change videos, hanging out in online venues such as Reddit or Tumblr, and spending time with other transgender young people contributed to a sudden decision to adopt an alternate sexual identity. The results seem to indicate that this is, indeed, the case–over 60% of parents surveyed reported that YouTube and Tumblr influenced their kids to be transgender, and upwards of 40% of parents believe that friends both in real life and online also played a role. (Read more from “Brown University Silences Research on Transgenderism From One of Their Own Faculty Members” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Facebook Censors Pro-Gun Research…Depending on Which Media Outlet Covers the Story

/0 Comments/in , /by

Last week, the Crime Research Prevention Center (CRPC) released a new study detailing America’s contribution to mass shootings around the world.

CRPC decided to share a Fox News piece detailing the research they conducted on their Facebook page. The organization wanted to boost their post as an ad so more people would see the study’s results. That’s when Facebook’s bias became clear.

One of the ads CRPC posted was a direct link to their website where people could download the study’s results. Facebook quickly approved the ad and all was fine.

When the organization went to post an ad linking to a Fox News article that detailed the study’s results, the ad was not approved. . .

“In our appeal, we wrote back that the Fox News link was to an original news story. I told them that I don’t understand how FB views a news story as either ‘low quality’ or ‘disruptive,’ but that we would appreciate them explaining why. Unfortunately, Facebook just repeated its previous response,” CRPC President John Lott wrote on the organization’s website. (Read more from “Facebook Censors Pro-Gun Research…Depending on Which Media Outlet Covers the Story” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Cruz’s Mother to Be Determining Factor on Death Penalty for School Shooter

/0 Comments/in , /by

The extensive criminal and drug abuse history of Parkland school suspect Nikolas Cruz’s biological mother could be a key factor in whether he is sentenced to die for the massacre that killed 17 people, legal experts and officials say.

The mother, 62-year-old Brenda Woodard, played no role in Cruz’s upbringing after giving him up for adoption after he was born. But her past, which included a crack cocaine purchase arrest while she was pregnant with Cruz, will almost certainly be brought up for a jury considering whether he should live or die.

“It is not necessarily her past, but how her past contributed to his genetic makeup,” said David S. Weinstein, a former state and federal prosecutor now in private practice. “Her use of drugs and alcohol while she was pregnant with him, and how her genetic makeup was passed on to him.” (Read more from “Cruz’s Mother to Be Determining Factor on Death Penalty for School Shooter” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Trump Refuses to Watch Neil Armstrong Biopic ‘First Man’

/0 Comments/in , /by

The new movie, “First Man” starring Ryan Gosling has caused quite a bit of controversy around the nation for purposely omitting the planting of the U.S. flag on the moon by astronaut Neil Armstrong.

President Donald Trump has weighed into the controversy by saying he has no plans to see the movie.

In an interview with the Daily Caller, Trump calls the omission “unfortunate.” He told the Daily Caller, “It’s almost like they’re embarrassed at the achievement coming from America, I think it’s a terrible thing.”

“When you think of Neil Armstrong and when you think of the landing on the moon, you think about the American flag,” he added. “For that reason, I wouldn’t even want to watch the movie.”

Gosling, who portrays Armstong in the film, had previously told the Telegraph that he believed that the landing on moon “transcended countries and borders.”

“I think this was widely regarded in the end as a human achievement [and] that’s how we chose to view it,” Gosling said. “I also think Neil was extremely humble, as were many of these astronauts, and time and time again he deferred the focus from himself to the 400,000 people who made the mission possible.”

“I don’t think that Neil viewed himself as an American hero,” Gosling added. “From my interviews with his family and people that knew him, it was quite the opposite.”

The president isn’t the only politician to object to the film’s omission.

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio took to Twitter and said, “This is total lunacy. And a disservice at a time when our people need reminders of what we can achieve when we work together. The American people paid for that mission, on rockets built by Americans, with American technology & carrying American astronauts. It wasn’t a UN mission.”

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin — who was the second man to step foot on the moon after Armstrong — also slammed the film through a series of tweets. The 88-year-old Aldrin posted one tweet of him and Armstrong on the moon with the hashtags #proudtobeanAmerican, #freedom, #honor, #onenation, #Apollo11, #July1969, and #roadtoApollo50.

In addition, he retweeted a photo of himself saluting the flag.

Armstrong died in 2012 at the age of 82.

“First Man” is scheduled to be released in theaters next month. (For more from “Trump Refuses to Watch Neil Armstrong Biopic ‘First Man’” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.