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☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Meta, Apple, Tesla, Netflix, Roku, Disney, Exxon & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Here are the Thursday's biggest calls Wall Street: Credit Suisse upgrades AECOM to outperform from neutral Credit Suisse said the company is a key beneficiary of infrastructure stimulus. UBS reiterates Apple as buy UBS said it's sticking with its buy rating on the stock but is concerned about App Store revenue declines. Credit Suisse upgrades Boeing to neutral from underperform Credit Suisse said in its upgrade of Boeing that it sees "stronger aircraft deliveries." RBC names Meta a top 2023 pick RBC said it sees "multiple expansion" on the horizon for Meta shares. " Rosenblatt reiterates Disney as buy Rosenblatt said activist investor Nelson Peltz's push for a Disney board seat could help shares.

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☆ 'Coup-mongering' Bolsonarista's battle cry reveals a radicalized Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Gabriel Stargardter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Lots of people realized this wasn't a safe place," said Lucas Mello, a 22-year-old TikToker who has lived in the camp since Dec. 5. Three days after the riots, Moraes released Baldin, sent him home with an ankle bracelet, and barred him from talking to the media. "The heavily violent (protests) ... occurred in exactly the same context that motivated the temporary arrest of Milton Baldin," Moraes wrote in his sealed ruling. Bolsonaristas deride Moraes as an unelected despot who has censored free speech and trampled on the president's executive power. On Dec. 9, Bolsonaro broke weeks of post-election silence with an ambiguous message many viewed as encouragement to his protesting supporters.

“It’s an utter betrayal,” his son, Kevin Gnida, said in an interview from his home in Edmonton, Canada. “I know with 100 percent confidence that my dad would have never participated in this,” Kevin Gnida added. “I’m glad they got caught.”Evan, 64, and Josh Edwards, 30, were arrested at their home in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on Dec. 14. Josh Edwards is taken into custody outside the Edwards family’s New Smyrna Beach home on Dec. 14, 2022. “They came to my dad because they had no money.”Joy Edwards, Evan and Mary Jane Edwards, and Josh Edwards.

☆ Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh went to CPAC boss Matt Schlapp's holiday party, which Trump ally Stephen Miller and Rep. Matt Gaetz also attended: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh went to a holiday party at the home of Matt Schlapp Friday night. Schlapp is the chairman of the influential right-wing group Conservative Political Action Coalition. The appearance has sparked questions about possible conflicts of interest with a sitting Supreme Court justice attending a private party of right-wing leaders. Miller's conservative group, America First Legal, has filed briefs on cases that are pending before the Supreme Court, according to Bloomberg. Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to establish an enforceable code of conduct for the Supreme Court justices.

☆ Trump, Kanye West, and Nick Fuentes pushing antisemitism to the forefront of the GOP could pull the Christian nationalist movement apart
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But they also exposed a darker side of Christian nationalism that was always there, experts say. Americans who support Christian nationalist ideas may not identify as Christian nationalists. Andrew Whitehead, a sociologist at IUPUI and co-author of "Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States," has found similar connections between Christian nationalism and antisemitism. Additional research has also found close connections between Christian nationalism, antisemitism, QAnon followers, and supporters of Trump. Greene has said the GOP should be the party of Christian nationalism and even sells merch adorned with the term.

☆ Herschel Walker's wife had an 'obsessive focus' on her husband winning over more Black voters and felt he should have been receiving up to 50% of the Black vote: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Herschel Walker and his wife wanted to court Black voters in the Georgia Senate race, per Politico. Julie Blanchard Walker said Walker should've been getting robust Black support, per the report. An individual close to the campaign told Politico that her idea morphed into an "obsessive focus." The biggest complication in the efforts by the Walkers to engage with Black voters? And he campaigned extensively in those areas throughout the entire campaign, while Walker's overall campaign strategy targeted conservatives and the state's rural evangelical community.

Alito authored that decision, called Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, and the Hobby Lobby one. Schenck said he was motivated to come forward out of fear Supreme Court staff could unfairly take the blame for this year's leak. Chief Justice John Roberts directed the Supreme Court's marshal to investigate the leak in the Dobbs case, calling it a "betrayal." Democratic lawmakers said Schenck's account underscored the need for legislation requiring the U.S. Supreme Court, which now has a 6-3 conservative majority, to adopt a code of ethics, which unlike lower-level federal courts the high court lacks. "I believe we pushed the boundaries of Christian ethics and compromised the high court's promise to administer equal justice," Schenck said.

☆ A Christian minister testified that he was involved in decades-long efforts to influence the Supreme Court: 'We pushed the boundaries of Christian ethics'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An evangelical Christian minister testified he was involved in an effort to influence Supreme Court justices' thinking. Robert Schenck told a congressional panel that he gained advance knowledge of a 2014 Supreme Court ruling. "I believe we pushed the boundaries of Christian ethics and comprised the high court's promise to administer equal justice," Schenck said. The allegations have prompted renewed calls from Democratic lawmakers for the Supreme Court justices to abide by an ethics code. "I don't believe a thing Mr. Schneck says," Paoletta, a former clerk for Justice Thomas, told the committee.

☆ Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock's runoff victory is a testament to how he connected with voters though faith
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

During the Georgia Senate race, Raphael Warnock didn't stray from his deep roots in the church. Warnock effectively engaged with a wide range of voters in a state that can be tough for Democrats. Warnock defeated former University of Georgia football legend Herschel Walker to secure a full six-year term in the Senate. Warnock, the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, campaigns at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Eatonton, Ga., on August 18, 2022. And he acknowledged that while many Americans have faced challenges in recent years, retaining a sense of faith was important.

☆ Supreme Court Hears Arguments Pitting Gay Rights Against Free Speech
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Lorie Smith, an evangelical Christian and web designer, considers compliance with Colorado’s antidiscrimination law akin to the state compelling her to declare support for same-sex marriage. WASHINGTON—Two strands of recent Supreme Court jurisprudence clash on Monday, as the justices weigh whether a website designer’s free-speech rights entitle her to turn away customers seeking online services for same-sex weddings, despite state law protecting LGBT individuals from discrimination. The Supreme Court in 2015 held that same-sex couples enjoy the same marriage rights as those of opposite sexes, culminating a line of decisions beginning in the 1990s that extended legal equality to LGBT Americans. Over much of the same period, the court has been expanding religious rights, in decisions that have given priority to religious exercise over secular government interests.

☆ Alito jokes about Black Santa and Ashley Madison during Supreme Court arguments
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Summer-Concepcion-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Summer Concepcion | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Justice Samuel Alito joked about Black Santa, children in Klan robes and dating websites as the Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case weighing a web designer's bid to avoid working on same-sex weddings because she is a conservative evangelical Christian. David Zalubowski / AP fileEric Olson, the Colorado solicitor general, said that the Black Santa wouldn’t have to follow through with the request since KKK outfits are not protected characteristics under accommodation laws. Alito quipped, “You do see a lot of Black children in Ku Klux Klan outfits, right? Kagan, who is Jewish, jumped in to confirm that Alito was correct, which drew laughter from those in attendance. Conservative justices on the high court appeared sympathetic toward the web designer’s bid as they heard arguments for more than two hours Monday.

☆ LGBTQ students wrestle with tensions at Christian colleges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

“It’s kind of a tightrope,” said John Scarano, campus ministry director at John Carroll University, a Jesuit school near Cleveland with “safe zone trainings” as part of its ministry to LGBTQ students. Last year, 33 LGBTQ students or former students at federally funded Christian schools filed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education, claiming the department’s religious exemption allows schools that receive federal dollars to unconstitutionally discriminate against LGBTQ students. In May, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights launched a separate investigation for alleged violations of the rights of LGBTQ students at six Christian universities — including Liberty University. A high-stakes clash between students, faculty and the school’s board of trustees over hiring LGBTQ faculty is unfolding at Seattle Pacific University, a 131-year-old school affiliated with the Free Methodist Church. “I find that tragic.”To students like Fisher in Minnesota, concrete actions will show if LGBTQ people can truly be welcomed on Christian campuses.

☆ Supreme Court to Hear Arguments Pitting Gay Rights Against Free Speech
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Lorie Smith, an evangelical Christian and web designer, considers compliance with Colorado’s antidiscrimination law akin to the state compelling her to declare support for same-sex marriage. WASHINGTON—Two strands of recent Supreme Court jurisprudence will clash on Monday, as the justices weigh whether a website designer’s free-speech rights entitle her to turn away customers seeking online services for same-sex weddings, despite state law protecting LGBT individuals from discrimination. The Supreme Court in 2015 held that same-sex couples enjoy the same marriage rights as those of opposite sexes, culminating a line of decisions beginning in the 1990s that extended legal equality to LGBT Americans. Over much of the same period, the court has been expanding religious rights, in decisions that have given priority to religious exercise over secular government interests.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday hears the latest clash between religious conservatives and LGBTQ rights as it weighs a conservative evangelical Christian web designer's bid to avoid working on same-sex weddings. Lower courts ruled against Smith, prompting her to appeal to the Supreme Court. The remaining 21 states do not have laws explicitly protecting LGBTQ rights in public accommodations, although some local municipalities do. The court ruled on the baker case before the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, who voted in favor of LGBTQ rights in key cases. In another major victory for LGBTQ rights, the Supreme Court in 2020 — to the surprise of many court-watchers — ruled that a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in employment protects LGBTQ employees.

[1/2] Web designer Lorie Smith, plaintiff in a Supreme Court case who objects to same-sex marriage, poses for a portrait at her office in Littleton, Colorado, U.S., November 28, 2022. The court in that case stopped short of carving out a free speech exemption to anti-discrimination laws. Like Phillips, Smith is represented by attorneys from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative religious rights group. The Supreme Court did not take up one aspect of her challenge to Colorado law based on religious rights also protected by the First Amendment, focusing on free speech instead. The Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, has become increasingly supportive of religious rights and related free speech claims in recent years even as it has backed LGBT rights in other cases.

☆ Supreme Court hears case of Colorado wedding website refusing gay marriage work
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case involving a Colorado web design company whose desire to avoid doing work for same-sex weddings runs afoul of the state's public accommodation anti-discrimination law. Conservative justices appeared sympathetic to First Amendment arguments made by a lawyer for the design company's owner. The court will likely decide the case by next spring or early summer. Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked Kristen Waggoner, the lawyer for company owner Lorie Smith, an evangelical Christian opposed to gay marriage. asked Sotomayor, a liberal, as she sat feet away from conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, a Black man who is married to a white woman.

Lower courts ruled against Smith, prompting her to appeal to the Supreme Court. The remaining 21 states do not have laws explicitly protecting LGBTQ rights in public accommodations, although some local municipalities do. Alliance Defending Freedom, which also represented Phillips, has had success arguing religious rights cases at the Supreme Court in recent years. The court ruled on the baker case before the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, who voted in favor of LGBTQ rights in key cases. In another major victory for LGBTQ rights, the Supreme Court in 2020, to the surprise of many court-watchers, ruled that a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in employment protects LGBTQ employees.

☆ Web designer opposed to gay marriage at center of U.S. Supreme Court clash
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Andrew Chung | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/4] Web designer Lorie Smith, plaintiff in a Supreme Court case who objects to same-sex marriage, poses for a portrait at her office in Littleton, Colorado, U.S., November 28, 2022. She argues that Colorado anti-discrimination law violates free speech rights by forcing artists - including web designers - to express messages through their work that they oppose. The Supreme Court did not take up one aspect of her challenge to Colorado law based on religious rights also protected by the First Amendment. His legal battle with Colorado also reached the Supreme Court, which ruled narrowly in his favor in 2018. The state warned against endorsing Smith's view of free speech protections.

The 2014 decision in the case called Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, like the June abortion decision, represented a victory for religious conservatives. The Hobby Lobby decision exempted family-owned businesses that objected on religious grounds from a federal requirement that any health insurance they provide to employees must cover birth control for women. Durbin urged passage of legislation that would create a code of ethics for the Supreme Court. Schenck, according to the Times, wrote to Roberts about his claim. Schenck said one of the Wrights then told him that Alito had authored the Hobby Lobby opinion and that it would favor the company, the newspaper reported.

☆ Republicans want Brian Kemp's mojo to rub off on Herschel Walker in the Georgia Senate runoff, but hurdles remain as the governor uses his political operation to boost the GOP
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Brian Kemp has emerged as Herschel Walker's most powerful surrogate in the Georgia Senate runoff. Kemp, who won reelection as governor, didn't campaign with Walker during the general election race. This normally wouldn't be a notable act in GOP politics, but the Georgia Senate runoff election is not a normal contest. For that reason, Walker has found himself openly embracing Kemp, who came out of the general election as the biggest winner in Georgia politics. On November 7, Kemp flew around Georgia with most of the statewide GOP candidates — including Raffensperger — but Walker wasn't part of the mix.

☆ In South America's Andes, farmers pray for rain to end drought
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Monica Machicao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] An indigenous woman raises her hands in prayer asking for rain in the Lloko Lloko community, in Tihuanacu, Bolivia November 23, 2022. REUTERS/Claudia MoralesTIHUANACU, Bolivia, Nov 25 (Reuters) - High in the mountains of the Bolivian Andes, farmer Alberto Quispe has one thing on his mind: rain. The drought has hit crops in Bolivia as well as in Argentina, Paraguay and Peru. In the Andean regions, drought in recent years has caused falling water reservoir levels in places like Chile and led to important glaciers retreating. Drought has hit crops like wheat and soy, including this year in major grains producer Argentina.

☆ Targeting Justice Samuel Alito
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The political campaign against the Supreme Court continues, relentlessly, and the latest example is a claim that eight years ago Justice Samuel Alito leaked word ahead of time about a Supreme Court ruling. We’d ignore this except that Democrats and the anti-Court media are treating it like a capital offense. To call this story uncorroborated is to overstate its credibility. Rob Schenck , a pastor who has since turned against his former evangelical allies, claims he heard from a woman who heard from Justice Alito at a dinner party in 2014 about the pending opinion in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, a religious liberty case. Justice Alito denies leaking anything, and the woman denies hearing about it.

☆ Being LGBTQ in Colorado Springs wasn’t always easy. Now, some feel more exposed than ever.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Matt-Lavietes-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Matt Lavietes | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Then just days later, a gunman entered the city’s sole LGBTQ dance club, killing five people and injuring 19 others. Colorado Springs has long been considered a stronghold of evangelism, an identity of Christianity that has a history of opposing LGBTQ equality. The city has very few spaces where its LGBTQ people say they feel a sense of freedom and acceptance. Christopher Aaby, 39, moved to Colorado Springs when he was about 6. Jimmy Gomez-Beisch, 40, a gay burlesque dancer who was born and raised in Colorado Springs, struck a more hopeful tone for the community’s future.

☆ A Christian petition against Donald Trump's 2024 bid has amassed thousands of signatures
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Christian organization has started a petition protesting Trump's 2024 campaign. Faithful America is asking Christians to "speak out" against Trump running for president. The petition was launched on November 16 by Faithful America. Faithful America also said in its petition that the Bible teaches "love, equality, and dignity," which it says are values that Trump's MAGA movement "clearly rejects." A representative at Trump's press office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ In Latin America, mothers of LGBTQ children fight against prejudice
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Founded in 2017, the Latin American Movement of Mothers of LGTB+ Children lobbies governments to eliminate prejudical laws and better enforce existing bans on violence and discrimination. Members of the Latin American Movement of Mothers of LGTB+ Children during a march in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Nov. 5. The Latin American Movement of Mothers of LGTB+ Children held its first in-person meeting in early November in Buenos Aires, where they attended the annual massive gay pride march on Nov. 5. In some countries, mothers who try to help their children deal with discrimination suddenly find themselves the subject of scrutiny. Delfín said that she is one of two mothers in Santa Cruz who are activists fighting for their LGBTQ children.

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