VATICAN-CLIMATE
Vatican keeps up eco-pressure, invites mayors to see pope
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican is keeping up the pressure on world leaders to listen to Pope Francis’ dual mantras of fighting climate change and human trafficking by inviting mayors to a Vatican meeting next week.
It will be devoted to battling the exploitation of the Earth and its poorest people.
Francis is on vacation but he’s expected to address the July 21 conference, which has attracted 60 or so mayors from around the world.
Francis released his major teaching on the environment to great fanfare last month. In it, he denounced what he called the “structurally perverse” global economic system in which the wealthy exploit the poor and destroy the Earth in the process.
JIMMY CARTER-FAITH
FAITH, GAY MARRIAGE AND ABORTION
ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Jimmy Carter said his Christian faith is the basis for his continued opposition to abortion, unless a mother’s life is in danger or the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.
But Carter says he has come to believe gay marriage would not be condemned by Jesus Christ.
In an interview from Georgia, Carter said Jesus “was always for the downtrodden, the outcast, the despised, people who had suffered in the past from discrimination.” He said the word most often ascribed to Jesus is love.
Carter released a new book this month, “A Full Life.”
KKK FLIERS
Ku Klux Klan fliers show up in predominantly black South Carolina neighborhood
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Residents in a predominantly black South Carolina neighborhood say fliers have been distributed claiming to be from the Ku Klux Klan.
Local news outlets report the fliers from the Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan showed up last week in a community in North Charleston.
The flier reads, “Neighborhood Watch. You can sleep tonight knowing the Klan is awake.” It includes a sketch of a hooded Klansman and a finger pointed toward the reader. A neighborhood association leader said the woman who brought him the flier said she didn’t see who placed it on her car.
The fliers appeared less than three weeks after nine people were shot to death at a historic black church in nearby Charleston. A 21-year-old white man has been charged.
UPS LAWSUIT
EEOC accuses UPS of discrimination for banning beards, long hair without religious exception
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is accusing United Parcel Service of discriminating against employees who wear beards or long hair for religious reasons.
The EEOC sued the Atlanta-based shipping company on Wednesday in federal court in Brooklyn. The lawsuit says UPS prohibits men who interact with customers or who hold supervisor positions from growing beards or hair below the collar. It accuses the company of violating federal civil rights law by not making exceptions for religion.
The EEOC says in one case, a bearded Muslim employee was told he would have to shave to get a driver’s job. It says he was told, “God would understand” if he shaved.
UPS denies the accusations.
Sound:
247-a-16-(Nora Curtin, supervising trial attorney, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in AP interview)-“to have beards”-EEOC supervising trial attorney Nora Curtin says UPS’s policy discriminated against religious practices. (15 Jul 2015)
< 249-a-10-(Nora Curtin, supervising trial attorney, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in AP interview)-“shaved his beard (second reference)”-EEOC supervising trial attorney Nora Curtin says a Muslim employee was denied a promotion to driver because of his beard. (15 Jul 2015) < 246-a-10-(Nora Curtin, supervising trial attorney, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in AP interview)-“UPS’s appearance policy”-EEOC supervising trial attorney Nora Curtin says the complaint alleges UPS violated religious rights. (15 Jul 2015) < 248-a-15-(Nora Curtin, supervising trial attorney, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in AP interview)-“to the employer”-EEOC supervising trial attorney Nora Curtin says firms must offer reasonable accomodation for religious practices. (15 Jul 2015) < MUSLIM WOMAN ATTACKED Muslim civil rights group calls for federal probe of NY attack of Muslim woman WASHINGTON (AP) — A Washington-based Muslim civil rights group is calling for the FBI to investigate a weekend attack of a Muslim woman in New York. The Council on American Islamic Relations — CAIR — says a woman was attacked shortly after she got off a bus from Maryland late Saturday in Manhattan. The suspect is said to have shouted anti-Muslim slurs and then struck the 19-year-old, breaking her jaw. She was hospitalized. CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper says the group is offering a $1,000 reward in hopes it will lead to the arrest of the perpetrator. Hooper says there has been an increase in threats and attacks against Muslims Sound: 251-a-09-(Ibrahim Hooper, Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), in AP interview)-“of the perpetrator”-CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper says an incentive is being provided for leads in the investigation. (15 Jul 2015) < 250-a-12-(Ibrahim Hooper, Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), in AP interview)-“not be tolerated”-CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper says his group wants federal intervention in the assault of a Muslim woman who suffered a broken jaw. (15 Jul 2015) < 253-a-11-(Ibrahim Hooper, tIbrahim Hooper, spokesman, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), in AP interview)-“or Islamic schools”-CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper says there has been a surge in anti-Muslim acts. (15 Jul 2015) < 252-a-10-(Ibrahim Hooper, Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), in AP interview)-“of anti-Muslim slurs”-CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper says the woman was the victim of a hate crime. (15 Jul 2015) < MORMON LEADER-NELSON Mormon church announces Russell Nelson as top-ranking leader, next-in-line as faith’s prophet SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Mormon church has a new top-ranking leader to replace the late Boyd K. Packer, who was next in line to become president and prophet of the faith. The Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Wednesday that Russell M. Nelson will serve as the president of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, its high-level governing body. Mormon President Thomas S. Monson appointed Nelson to the post. Nelson has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since 1984. He replaces Packer, who died July 3 at his Salt Lake City home of natural causes. He was 90. CAMERON-VEIL BAN Northern Cameroon announces ban on burkas and face veils YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Cameroon’s north region has banned women from wearing burkas and face-covering veils after suicide bombings by females in burkas killed at least 14 people in a northern town on Sunday. A government official says the region has also banned Muslims from meeting in large groups without permission, as the end of the holy month of Ramadan (RAH’-mah-dahn) nears. It was first reported that two bombs were planted, but officials say that investigations found the explosions were launched by two women wearing burkas. The Islamic extremist group Boko Haram (BOH’-koh hah-RAHM’) has been staging attacks across Nigeria’s borders, and then retreating. SKOREA-SAMSUNG-ANTI-SEMISITM Samsung removes online cartoons after anti-Semitism row SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A Samsung company has removed online cartoons attacking a U.S. hedge fund’s founder as a ravenous, big-beaked vulture after Jewish organizations protested similar smears in South Korea’s media. The hedge fund, Elliott, is opposing a takeover deal between two Samsung companies that critics say will ensure the current generation of Samsung’s founding family retains control over South Korea’s biggest conglomerate. Samsung C&T, one of the Samsung firms involved in the takeover, posted cartoons online that depicted Elliott’s founder Paul Singer as a vulture-like figure. In one scene, Singer is depicted hiding an axe behind his back while taking money from a man in ragged clothes. The cartoons were displayed for several weeks on a website set up by Samsung C&T to argue the merits of the takeover deal. Samsung C&T said the cartoons were a sensitive issue and asked The Associated Press not to publish a story before a crucial shareholder meeting. It later issued a statement saying any offense was unintentional. Jewish organizations last week called on Samsung and South Korea’s government to denounce anti-Semitic stereotypes in local media. CONGRESS-PLANNED PARENTHOOD House committees will investigate Planned Parenthood video WASHINGTON (AP) — The debate over abortion has flared again in Washington. Congressional Republicans say they will investigate whether Planned Parenthood is selling organs from aborted fetuses. House Speaker John Boehner called for committees to examine the matter and said President Barack Obama should condemn and end the practice. The GOP offensive came a day after an anti-abortion group circulated a video it made secretly showing a Planned Parenthood official discussing the disposal of body parts from aborted fetuses. Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions and other reproductive health services, says it legally helps women who want to make not-for-profit donations of their fetus’ organs for scientific research. It says it makes no money by donating the organs to science, and says the video was heavily edited. SOUTH AFRICA-TUTU Tutu spends 2nd night in South African hospital JOHANNESBURG (AP) — His foundation says retired South African archbishop Desmond Tutu has been treated at a Cape Town hospital for a persistent infection. Tutu, who is 83, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday. At that time, his daughter said their family hoped the Nobel Peace Prize laureate would be able to return home in a “day or two.” A foundation named after Tutu and his wife Leah said the retired archbishop wants to thank people who have sent love and prayers by telephone, social media and other means. Tutu has been treated for prostate cancer for many years. He was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1984 for campaigning against apartheid, South Africa’s former state-run system of racial oppression.
