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Oklahoma teachers were told to use the Bible. There's resistance from schools as students return
Read full article: Oklahoma teachers were told to use the Bible. There's resistance from schools as students returnOklahomaās Bixby school district has lots to show off for a fast-growing Tulsa suburb, including a state-of-the-art new high school and plans for a $12 million upgrade to its football complex.
Texasā Christian-influenced curriculum spurs worries about bullying, church-state separation
Read full article: Texasā Christian-influenced curriculum spurs worries about bullying, church-state separationSome secular groups and members of other faiths say the curriculum could give schools too much control over how children are taught religion.
Some Texas school officials are skeptical that a K-12 curriculum with Christian influences is the lifeline state leaders promise
Read full article: Some Texas school officials are skeptical that a K-12 curriculum with Christian influences is the lifeline state leaders promiseProposed lesson plans could improve student performance and help teachers, Texas education officials say. Not all district leaders and education advocates are convinced.
The head of Chinaās state-backed Catholic church begins historic trip to Hong Kong
Read full article: The head of Chinaās state-backed Catholic church begins historic trip to Hong KongThe head of the Catholic church in China has begun a trip to Hong Kong at the invitation of the cityās pope-appointed Roman Catholic cardinal, marking the first official visit by a Beijing bishop in history.
House Republicans push for info on Hunter Biden's art sales
Read full article: House Republicans push for info on Hunter Biden's art salesHouse Republicans have renewed an investigation into the art dealings of Hunter Biden, pushing for details as part of the partyās long-promised probe of President Joe Biden and his family.
Judge tosses most claims over clearing protesters in DC park
Read full article: Judge tosses most claims over clearing protesters in DC parkA federal judge has dismissed a majority of the claims filed by activists and civil liberties groups who accused the Trump administration of violating the civil rights of protesters who were forcefully removed by police using chemical agents from a park near the White House.
Federal probe: Protest not broken up due to Trump photo op
Read full article: Federal probe: Protest not broken up due to Trump photo opAn internal investigation has determined that the decision to clear racial justice protesters from an area in front of the White House last summer wasn't influenced by then-President Donald Trumpās plans to stage a Bible-toting photo opportunity at that spot.
Growing number of Southern Baptist women question roles
Read full article: Growing number of Southern Baptist women question rolesFILE - In this Tuesday, June 11, 2019 file photo, Janene Cates Putman of Athens, Tenn., holds a sign during a demonstration outside the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Julie Bennett)Emily Snook is the daughter of a Southern Baptist pastor. For many SBC women, even those committed to staying, the topic of gender became more volatile this month when popular Bible teacher Beth Moore said she no longer considered herself Southern Baptist. Yet she is among a number of SBC women publicly sharing their dismay about sex abuse and the vitriol directed at Moore. But she says many Southern Baptist women, including students of hers, were unsettled by the criticism of Moore.
Biden oath second only to Reagan and Obama with TV viewers
Read full article: Biden oath second only to Reagan and Obama with TV viewersAll rights reservedNEW YORK ā The first inaugurations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama were the only ones to exceed Joe Biden's in popularity among television viewers over the past 40 years. Reagan's festivities in 1981 drew 41.8 million viewers, and Obama's 2009 inaugural reached 37.8 million, Nielsen said. CNN was the most popular network for inaugural viewers, Nielsen said. ABC had 3.4 million, Fox had 2.7 million, NBC had 2.5 million, Univision had 1.2 million, while Ion Television and Telemundo each averaged 1.1 million viewers. MSNBC had 2.67 million, Fox News Channel had 2.56 million, TNT had 1.19 million and HGTV had 1.1 million.
Missed the inauguration? These videos show the most buzzworthy moments
Read full article: Missed the inauguration? These videos show the most buzzworthy momentsBiden took the oath at a U.S. Capitol that had been battered by an insurrectionist siege just two weeks earlier. Instead, Biden gazed out over 200,000 American flags planted on the National Mall to symbolize those who could not attend in person. In case you missed the big event (hey, some of us had to work! ), we thought weād gather some videos showing all the key moments. Lady Gagaās powerful national anthemWe could have guessed Gaga would deliver on her national anthem.
Inauguration fashion: Purple, pearls, American designers
Read full article: Inauguration fashion: Purple, pearls, American designers(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)Joe Biden and Kamala Harris showcased American designers at their inauguration Wednesday, and Harris gave a nod to women's suffrage, Shirley Chisholm and her beloved sorority in pearls and purple. Pearls had a strong fashion showing, in line with a social media campaign that had inauguration watchers donning strands in support and celebration of Harris. āIf thereās a message to be taken from todayās inauguration fashion, itās that those who attended are signaling faith in unity and bipartisanship, as well as restoring truth and trust,ā Torgerson said. Another inauguration fashion star on Twitter was Nikolas Ajagu, the husband of Harris' niece, Meena Harris. It was updated on January 21, 2021, to correct the fact that Meena Harris is Vice President Kamala Harrisā niece, not her sister.
Texas, San Antonio politicians take to social media on inauguration day
Read full article: Texas, San Antonio politicians take to social media on inauguration day(Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP)SAN ANTONIO ā Jan. 20, 2021, is a historic day as another administration takes office. Politicians from Texas and San Antonio took to social media on inauguration day to speak about the Presidentās departure and the new administration. We are safely celebrating the Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris and Councilman TreviƱoās 50th birthday today! The task at hand is not easy for President Biden and as Americans we should hope for success in unifying this great country. Congratulations to President Biden & Madam Vice President Harris.
The Latest: Trump predicts āsuccessā for new administration
Read full article: The Latest: Trump predicts āsuccessā for new administrationThe federal government has launched a new website that will serve as a clearinghouse for records from former President Donald Trumpās administration. Biden brought a dark blue rug out of storage to replace a lighter colored one installed by former President Donald Trump. Workers removed the giant sign from the departmentās C Street lobby on Wednesday shortly after President Joe Biden was inaugurated. ___4:55 p.m.President Joe Biden has directed that federal agencies halt all rulemaking until his administration has time to review proposed regulations. Former President Donald Trump flew to Florida before Biden was sworn into office.
Vice President Harris: A new chapter opens in US politics
Read full article: Vice President Harris: A new chapter opens in US politicsKamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as her husband Doug Emhoff holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP)WASHINGTON ā Vice President Kamala Harris broke the barrier that has kept men at the top ranks of American power for more than two centuries when she took the oath Wednesday to hold the nation's second-highest office. With Trump absent from the inauguration, Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, took on the symbolic duty of escorting former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, out of the Capitol. To celebrate the historic day, the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the nationās oldest sorority for Black women, which Harris joined at Howard University, declared Wednesday as Soror Kamala D. Harris Day. āToday, we mark the swearing in of the first woman in American history elected to national office, Vice President Kamala Harris.
What did Trump say at his 2017 inauguration speech? A look back
Read full article: What did Trump say at his 2017 inauguration speech? A look backSupreme Court Justice John Roberts (R) administers the oath of office to U.S. President Donald Trump (L) as his wife Melania Trump holds the Bible on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017. President Donald Trump announced previously that he wouldnāt attend the inauguration of Joe Biden, turning down a chance to be at Bidenās first official speech as president and hearing what heāll outline for the country over the next four years. But what issues did Trump address in his inauguration speech nearly four years ago? Below are some highlights of his inauguration speech to the nation after being sworn in as the 45th president on Jan. 20, 2017. For a full transcript of the speech, click or tap here.
President Trump is not visiting the Alamo Tuesday. Heās scheduled in border town of Alamo, Texas.
Read full article: President Trump is not visiting the Alamo Tuesday. Heās scheduled in border town of Alamo, Texas.FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2020, file photo President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington before boarding Marine One. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)ALAMO, Texas ā President Trump is slated to visit South Texas early this week, but not San Antonio. With the news of his scheduled trip to South Texas beginning to circulate Saturday, some confusion surrounds the precise location of his scheduled trip. President Trump is planning to visit Alamo, Texas, a town near the border in the Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday. Law enforcement near Alamo, Texas, have already begun preparing for the presidentās visit at the Valley International Airport, according to KVEO-TV.
Laredo nonprofit steps up to feed thousands of families in need during COVID-19 pandemic
Read full article: Laredo nonprofit steps up to feed thousands of families in need during COVID-19 pandemicLAREDO, Texas ā Just like the familiar images of seemingly endless food lines in San Antonio, the twice-weekly distribution at Holding Institute Community Center in Laredo may be smaller, but the demand is still the same. Pastor Mike Smith said before the pandemic, the nonprofit helped under 100 families and now sees 250 to 300 families a week, representing several thousand within those households. Smith said the center has seen the face of poverty dramatically change, with many asking for help for the first-time. Embarrassed and unaware of how to go about it, Smith said he tells them, āIāll take your word for it. Before COVID-19 spread on both sides of the border, Smith said, āIt was fairly easy to get food into Mexico.
Some states allow ballots if voters die before Election Day
Read full article: Some states allow ballots if voters die before Election DayHannah Carson reads from the third chapter of Ecclesiastes inside her Charlotte, N.C., apartment on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. At 90-year-old, Carson reads her Bible daily, particularly her favorite verse detailing the different seasons of life. As soon as she received her absentee ballot in the mail six weeks ago, she filled it out and sent it back to her local election office. (AP Photo/Sarah Blake Morgan)
Genene Jonesā Bible returned in accordance with plea agreement
Read full article: Genene Jonesā Bible returned in accordance with plea agreementSAN ANTONIO ā As part of the plea agreement in the Genene Jones murder case, prosecutors promised to return Jonesā Bible, an address book and several other personal items. As the agreement was being reviewed by District Judge Frank Castro Thursday, the District Attorneyās Major Crimes Chief Catherine Babbitt told Castro that the state had made good on its promise to return the items. āKiller Nurseā Genene Jones pleads guilty, gets life in prisonāTheyāre in a box," Babbitt said. āThere is some handwriting of Genene Jones in the Bible...some references to children and to sin,ā Babbitt said last fall. āKiller Nurseā Genene Jones deemed competent to stand trialIn November of 2019, Jones petitioned the court to have the Bible returned.