Church v. State, Denali Ain’t a River

Nation: Church and state collided yesterday in Kentucky when Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis continued to deny marriage licenses to same sex couples … or any couples … after the Supreme Court rejected her application to be allowed to do so for religious reasons. She’s been called back to federal court tomorrow to explain herself to a judge.

Davis said she was acting “under God’s authority” when she denied a marriage license to two men in her clerk’s office yesterday. The two men said they were going to stay in the office until Davis issued them a license and she said, “Then you’re going to have a long day.” Since the Supreme Court ruling making same-sex marriage legal, she has refused licenses to both gay and straight couples so she can say she’s not discriminating.

Davis is an Apostolic Christian who says she cannot put her name on a document marrying two people of the same sex. She said in a prepared statement, “It is a Heaven or Hell decision.”

She could be held in contempt of court, and could be removed from office, which is a less likely outcome in a county where she was elected and has support in public opinion. Davis, by the way, has been married four times to three men.

The China Syndrome: US stocks fell sharply yesterday on news that manufacturing in China has dropped to a three-year low. The Dow Jones was down 469.68 points, nearly three percent, to close just above 16,000. Although world markets are enthusiastic when China’s numbers are good, investors also know that Chinese economic reports can be suspect. When the Chinese deliver bad news about their own economy, it’s taken seriously. The Chinese market is down nearly 40 percent since June.

Police Beat: Police outside Chicago are hunting for three men suspected of killing a popular Fox Lake police officer during a foot chase. Lt. Charles Gliniewicz, 52, was a 30-year veteran and a father of four who recently talked about retiring. He’s the fourth police officer murdered in the country in the past week.

The Human Tide: About two thousand Middle Eastern migrants are stranded outside the Budapest train station after Hungary blocked them from traveling through European Union countries to find a new home. An EU agreement says refugees are supposed to seek asylum in the first country they enter, but Greece and Italy are overwhelmed. About 23,000 migrants arrived in Greece last week and 4,200 more just overnight.

Hungary and Bulgaria have built fences to keep migrants out. Many are trying to get to Germany, which has already taken in 800,000 this year, putting a big strain on the country’s budget.

Nukedeal: President Obama is close to having enough votes in the Senate to sustain a veto if the Republicans pass a bill to reject the Iran nuclear deal. Commitments from Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Chris Coons of Delaware put the president just one vote away from securing the deal. But even in support some senators are tentative. Casey wrote in a 17-page memo, “This agreement will substantially constrain the Iranian nuclear program for its duration, and compared with all realistic alternatives, it is the best option available to us at this time.”

Stigmata: Pope Francis says that priests may forgive women who’ve had abortions so long as they are contrite. Abortion is such a grave sin in the Catholic Church that it can be punishable by excommunication. The change is only for the church’s “Jubilee Year,” which comes only every 25 years and begins in December.

Denali Ain’t a River: Taking on the issues that matter most, Presidential candidate Donald Trump says he will change the name of Alaska’s newly renamed Denali back to Mt. McKinley. He tweeted, “President Obama wants to change the name of Mt. McKinley to Denali after more than 100 years. Great insult to Ohio. I will change back!” As if he ever named anything other than for himself.

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It's Been Said

"Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians. I love you Christians. I'm a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don't have to vote again, we'll have it fixed so good you're not going to have to vote."

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