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☆ How a maverick Brazil lawmaker helped Lula beat Bolsonaro's propaganda machine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Gabriel Stargardter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - To bring down far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Andre Janones had to fight fire with fire. Janones also raised eyebrows among some in Lula's Workers Party (PT) for his vulgar attacks on Bolsonaro and his allies. One senior Lula aide defended the role of Janones, saying he could tread where the official campaign did not dare. He was the most prominent Lula ally to drop the gloves in a bruising run-off race that took even Bolsonaro's campaign by surprise. Despite his hell-raising, Janones has not lost sight of digital media as a public service.

Among the provisions being challenged is one that gives a preference to Native Americans seeking to foster or adopt Native American children, which those challenging the law say discriminates on the basis of race. The challengers are led by Chad and Jennifer Brackeen — a white evangelical Christian couple who sought to adopt a Native American boy — as well as the states of Texas, Indiana and Louisiana. Tribes have also warned that a ruling striking down provisions of the law on racial discrimination grounds would threaten centuries of law that treat Native American tribes as distinct entities. Both sides appealed to the Supreme Court after the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. The Supreme Court has been closely divided in two major recent cases on Native American issues.

☆ Bono’s new book is more than a rock star memoir. It’s also a powerful tribute to America
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Born Paul David Hewson in Dublin, Ireland, Bono is a global rock star, an activist and an entrepreneur who is currently touring the US to promote his memoir. Bono’s book, though, is more than a rock star’s memoir. A belief in America as an idea, not a religionAs any casual fan of U2 knows, U2 has long had a close relationship with the US. Martin Luther King Jr., with their song, “Pride (In The Name of Love).”In “Surrender,” Bono pays tribute to America itself. “The search for common ground starts with a search for higher ground,” Bono writes in the memoir.

As a result, political observers say, public school funding is effectively on the ballot Tuesday. “These groups have been demonizing what is being taught in public schools, and that’s the fastest way to erode faith that public schools work,” Rottinghaus said. (Abbott publicly came out in support of private school vouchers two months after winning the primary with 66.5% of the vote.) Greg Abbott in the GOP primary, campaigned in support of private school vouchers. “I will never support vouchers.”Rep. John Bucy III said he will continue to oppose private school vouchers.

☆ Brazil leftist Lula wins third presidential term to redeem tarnished legacy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Anthony Boadle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

His policies lifted millions from extreme poverty, expanded access to education and healthcare, and reduced Brazil's deep social inequalities during years of robust growth driven by a global commodities boom. GLOBAL PRESTIGEHis presidency also reinvigorated Brazil's oil and ship-building industries, while its economy rose to sixth-largest in the world. Brazil's global prestige hit new levels as it was chosen to host the Olympics and soccer World Cup. However, Lula's legacy was tarnished amid revelations of a vast kickback scheme on public contracts, benefiting leaders from major political parties, including his own. A heavy smoker for years, Lula was treated with chemotherapy for throat cancer in 2011, deepening his gruff baritone.

☆ Beyond Catastrophe: A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | Photographs Devin Oktar Yalkin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +53 min

Beyond Catastrophe A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View By David Wallace-WellsYou can never really see the future, only imagine it, then try to make sense of the new world when it arrives. (A United Nations report released this week ahead of the COP27 climate conference in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, confirmed that range.) A little lower is possible, with much more concerted action; a little higher, too, with slower action and bad climate luck. There were climate-change skeptics in some very conspicuous positions of global power. New emissions peaks are expected both this year and next, which means that more damage is being done to the future climate of the planet right now than at any previous point in history.

☆ Brazil's top footballers lean toward Bolsonaro in polarized race
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Gabriel Araujo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

In a country where evangelical churches have made major inroads in poorer communities, eroding the Catholic majority, many footballers wear their evangelical faith on their sleeve. "There is this slogan that I love," Alves said, using a stock Bolsonaro phrase: "Brazil above everything, God above all." Bolsonaro lost the first round to his leftist challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva by a tighter-than-expected margin, setting up an Oct. 30 runoff. The outpouring on social media bolstered the growing anecdotal evidence that many of Brazil's most prominent soccer players now lean to the right. Top footballers' embrace of Bolsonaro has jibed with a growing tradition among conservative Brazilians who don the national team's famous yellow jersey in street demonstrations, as Bolsonaro himself has done occasionally.

Now, amid the recent controversies surrounding the rapper, this college professor sees value in launching another course on Ye. He taught his first two Ye-inspired courses, titled The Politics of Kanye West: Black Genius and Sonic Aesthetics, at Washington University in St. Louis starting in 2017. But unlike his previous ones, this class will be divided into three parts, “the old Kanye, the new Kanye, and the who Kanye,” and examine Ye’s recent behavior. “The course has never, ever been about Kanye,” McCune said. If the University of Rochester’s college curriculum committee approves the new Ye course, he plans to teach it during the spring or fall semester of 2023.

☆ Brazil's Lula vows to Evangelical voters he would respect religious freedom
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Leftist presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva assured Brazil's Evangelical Christians that he would not restrict religious freedoms if he is elected on Oct. 2, and praised the dedication to their beliefs. His adversary Bolsonaro has strong backing from Brazil's fast-growing Evangelical churches due to his conservative agenda based on pro-life and family values, and rejection of gay marriage and the legalization of drugs. With one in four Brazilians believed to be Evangelical today in this predominantly Catholic country, a recent poll by PoderData said 62% of evangelical voters are for Bolsonaro, and only 38% back Lula, who has the support of 51% of Catholics. Lula, who governed Brazil from 2003-2010, said he always maintained absolute respect for religious freedom during his eight years as president, passing laws and decrees protecting religious diversity. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Anthony Boadle; editing by Richard PullinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

In one line of attack, Lula allies dug up a 2016 interview in which Bolsonaro said he was willing to eat human flesh in an unspecified indigenous ritual. In another, they circulated old images of Bolsonaro speaking at Masonic lodges, considered pagan temples by some of his evangelical Christian allies. The president won court injunctions that took that attack ad off the air and kept the subject out of a debate with Lula last Sunday. But every week that passes without Bolsonaro gaining ground is a battle won by Lula, who was Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010. "The focus now is to attack Lula and trigger fears of him returning to power," said a second Bolsonaro campaign source.

☆ The head of the ADL slams Trump's comments as 'disgusting' after the former president said American Jews 'have to get their act together'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump on Sunday wrote that US Jews "have to get their act together" on matters relating to Israel. "Support for the Jewish state never gives one license to lecture American Jews," the AJC tweeted. The American Jewish Committee also criticized Trump's post. Those remarks were also criticized by the American Jewish Committee, which called the comments antisemitic. "His past support for Israel doesn't give him license to traffic in radioactive antisemitic tropes — or peddle unfounded conclusions about the unbreakable ties that bind American Jews to Israel.

☆ Trump attacks American Jews, says they must 'get their act together' on Israel 'before it's too late'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Summer Concepcion | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Donald Trump attacked Jews in the U.S. on his Truth Social platform Sunday, writing that they need to “get their act together” and “appreciate” Israel “before it is too late.”“No President has done more for Israel than I have. Trump has issued similar remarks in the past about U.S. Jews, a majority of whom typically vote Democratic. In an interview last year, Trump said' “The Jewish people in the United States either don’t like Israel or don’t care about Israel," adding: “There’s people in this country that are Jewish no longer love Israel. “I’ll tell you, the evangelical Christians love Israel more than the Jews in this country,” said Trump, who won strong support from white evangelical voters in 2016 and 2020, according to the Pew Research Center. Trump drew criticism as president for referring to Israel as “your country” in addressing American Jews at a Hanukkah event at the White House in 2018.

☆ University of Florida students protest against Ben Sasse’s anti-LGBTQ past
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Hundreds of University of Florida students held protests this week criticizing the anticipated appointment of Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., to lead the school. Sasse has said that as university president, he would do his best to represent the views of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students. But for some, his candidacy has called to mind the university’s anti-LGBTQ history and the extent to which many of them feel it continues to sideline their needs and experiences, four LGBTQ students told NBC News. The university’s LGBTQ+ Affairs office, for example, has a high staff turnover rate, he said. He said a “silver lining” of the protests was that many LGBTQ students made their concerns more widely known.

☆ The GOP dealt conservative Georgia voters a dud with Herschel Walker
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Arick Wierson | Arick Wierson Is A Six-Time Emmy Award-Winning Television Producer | A Former Senior Aide To Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He Advises Political | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

The bold way that the GOP — the pro-life party — continues to support Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker, who allegedly urged an ex-girlfriend to have an abortion and paid for the procedure, is eyebrow-raising to say the least. However, it’s not the first time Walker has been involved in a deal in which he has failed to live up to expectations. If you are an ardent Vikings fan, the Walker trade was a raw deal that still stings to this day. In this lopsided trade, it’s former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party attempting to present Walker as a Senate candidate with deeply held anti-abortion convictions to conservative Georgia voters. According to a Survey USA poll of likely voters, conducted Sept. 30 through Oct. 4, Warnock leads Walker 50% to 38%.

☆ Bolsonaro's outsider aura dims after Brazil's four tough years
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Gabriel Stargardter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Brazil's President and candidate for re-election Jair Bolsonaro attends a campaign rally in Santos in Sao Paulo state, Brazil, September 28, 2022. REUTERS/Amanda PerobelliRIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro once said only God could remove him from power. A career politician turned self-styled outsider, the tough-talking Bolsonaro was elected in 2018 on vows to clean up Brazil's graft-stained politics and modernize its economy. Prior to becoming president, Bolsonaro was known as a fringe conservative congressman, popular among police and soldiers in his Rio de Janeiro base. But with hunger still haunting some 33 million Brazilians, Bolsonaro is not getting much credit.

The Supreme Court in June announced it would hear the case in its new term, which begins on Monday. This showed the increasing willingness of its 6-3 conservative majority take on divisive issues as it steers the court on a rightward path. According to Irv Gornstein, executive director of Georgetown University Law Center's Supreme Court Institute, Kavanaugh now wields outsized influence over the speed and limits of the court's rightward shift. In its most recent term, there were 14 rulings decided on a 6-3 tally with the conservative justices on one side and the liberals on the other. The court appears likely to continue to take up cases particularly important to conservatives, Feldman said.

☆ Trump asked British Prime Minister Theresa May to 'imagine if some animals with tattoos raped your daughter' in conversation about abortion: book
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A new book from Maggie Haberman details Trump's first meeting with UK Prime Minister Theresa May. He reportedly brought up abortion, saying "imagine if some animals with tattoos raped your daughter." The graphic statement suggests a private sympathy with abortion rights, despite his record. "Imagine if some animals with tattoos raped your daughter and she got pregnant?" As president, Trump often sought to satisfy his evangelical base, most of whom are strongly opposed to abortion rights.

☆ Lula challenges Bolsonaro's grip on Brazil evangelical vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Jimin Kang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterShe is far from the only evangelical Christian in Brazil dancing around that delicate matter. Although Bolsonaro and his allies have worked to transform Brazil's fast-growing evangelical churches into the bedrock of his political base, this year's campaign has shown the limits of that electoral strategy. After Bolsonaro won the evangelical vote two-to-one in 2018, many more evangelicals — especially poorer women — are weighing a vote for Lula, whose legacy of generous social programs speaks powerfully to Brazil's less affluent evangelical voters. Even as Bolsonaro has built up an advantage over Lula in the heat of the campaign, he struggled to break past 50% of the evangelical vote in recent Datafolha surveys. Looking to bolster the 'shy' Lula vote among evangelicals, the Workers Party (PT) is partnering with leftist pastors like Paulo Marcelo Schallenberger, whose sermons aim to counter the party's "demonization" in evangelical circles.

And rather than worship the divine, the crowd was there to herald the malign: Donald Trump and his brand of hateful, intentionally divisive politics. Similar to a creed, Trump shared his litany of election-denial lies that have come to constitute the Republican Party platform. The intentional coupling of MAGA politics with religious imagery isn’t merely a rhetorical act, either. Trump’s Ohio rally is hardly the only recent example of a politician appropriating religious symbols to seize power. Here, too, Christians are speaking out against his hijacking of the church for right-wing politics.

☆ Rep. Lauren Boebert said humanity is in its 'last days' and Christians should 'rise up,' invoking Christian nationalist imagery that's linked to violence
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-18 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Boebert echoed Christian nationalist talking points and invoked the end times in a recent speech. Christian nationalism experts say such rhetoric has been linked to violence. But by invoking the end times, Boebert is tapping into a side of Christian nationalism that has been associated with violence. Though Boebert's comments aren't new among proponents of Christian nationalism, such rhetoric has rarely, if ever, been deployed by a member of Congress. Christian nationalist ideals were also espoused by the suspects in the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and the 2019 New Zealand mosque shootings.

☆ Satanic panic is making a comeback, fueled by QAnon believers and GOP influencers
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Brandy-Zadrozny-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Brandy Zadrozny | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +23 min

Utah County Attorney David O. Leavitt speaks on July 31, 2019, in Provo. The accusations were part of a new case from Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith. Discussion about satanism and satanic abuse has increased in recent years, according to data provided to NBC News by Zignal Labs, which analyzes social media conversations. Popular culture and social media have also ferried ideas about satanism and widespread child abuse from fringe to the mainstream. (Anti-LGBTQ politicians and activists have equated LGBTQ people with predators who abuse children as part of a “gay agenda,” the well-worn panic that the gay rights movement’s true motivation is recruitment.

☆ 'Barrett is like Jesus' for evangelical voters: Why confirming a new Supreme Court justice before the election mattered more to Republicans than another coronavirus stimulus
▼ + stars: | 2020-10-28 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It pales in comparison to getting the Supreme Court justice," an expert told Insider. The federal judge — now a newly minted Supreme Court Justice — is the first nominee in US history to be confirmed this close to an Election Day. McConnell's 'leave no vacancy behind' mindset about the courtsAnd the timing couldn't have been more ideal for the party, experts told Insider. In total, the top Republican has overseen 220 confirmations, including three Supreme Court justices. The Supreme Court offers them a shortcut "to enforce these kinds of values that they're really concerned about."

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