Although the lawmaker's name is blacked out in the documents, timestamps, context, and alignment with live footage reviewed by The Washington Post indicate the recipient was Plaskett, a member of the panel questioning Cohen that day

Trump and MTG Trade Barbs on Social Media

Now is a good time for religion in America. President Trump has established the White House Religious Liberty Commission, led by a diverse group of religious leaders and scholars, including Mary Margaret Bush, Napa Legal’s own former executive director. The commission is identifying some of the nation’s most pressing religious liberty issues and developing plans for action. Lawmakers should take advantage of the moment to enact durable protections that will outlast any administration.The U.S. Supreme Court, too, has protected religious liberty in several crucial cases. In Carson v. Makin (2022), the court held that it is unconstitutional to exclude religious schools from generally available government funding programs. In Kennedy v. Bremerton, it found that coach Joseph Kennedy’s postgame prayers did not violate the First Amendment. This year brought additional victories in Mahmoud v. Taylor, where the court upheld parents’ rights to opt their children out of LGBT content in elementary school classes, and Catholic Charities v. Wisconsin, where a unanimous court prevented state officials from favoring some religions over others.These encouraging developments might tempt Americans to believe that the battle for nationwide religious freedom has already been won. Yet even with such powerful forces defending religious liberty at the federal level, state laws affecting religious organizations remain critical for ensuring that everyday Americans do not suffer persecution for their firmly held religious beliefs. Consider what just happened in Washington state. In 2025, Catholic priests there faced an impossible choice between obeying their faith and complying with state law. A new Washington state statute required clergy to report instances of abuse or neglect they heard during confession, despite the Church’s centuries-old sacramental seal. The law singled out priests while giving others, like lawyers, a pass, and it carried the threat of jail time and fines.Thankfully, a federal court blocked the law before it could take effect, ruling in Etienne v. Ferguson that the state could not force clergy to violate the sacred seal of confession. But that case never should have been necessary. Washington’s law reflected the same pattern Napa Legal’s research has uncovered repeatedly: When state laws are weak or hostile to faith-based organizations, those organizations are left vulnerable even when the federal government and Supreme Court appear friendly to religion. This month, the Napa Legal Institute released the third edition of the Faith and Freedom Index, an analysis of state laws across the country that either help or hinder religious organizations. Whether national politics seem to favor or oppose religious liberty, state laws remain central to its long-term health.The states with the top overall scores were:AlabamaKansasIndianaTexasMississippi The five lowest scores went to:MichiganWashingtonMassachusettsWest VirginiaMaryland What distinguishes the states at the top of the list from those at the bottom? Several types of laws come into play. For example, the index’s highest performing states have built frameworks that proactively safeguard religious organizations. Their laws provide broad protections for religious exercise and create environments where ministries can thrive. By contrast, it’s no coincidence that Washington state ranks near the bottom. The same state that passed one of the most intrusive laws in recent memory also reflects on the Index a legal system that makes it far too easy for governments to intrude on matters of faith.That is why it is important to strike while the iron is hot. When the federal government is friendly to religious liberty, that is precisely the time to act. Political conditions can change quickly, but good laws endure. Lawmakers should take advantage of the moment to enact durable protections that will outlast any administration.RELATED: Why Trump's religious liberty agenda terrifies the left SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty ImagesThere are many reasons why state laws remain decisive. First, state statutes can still contradict clear federal precedent. After the Supreme Court struck down Wisconsin’s discriminatory law in Catholic Charities v. Wisconsin, a similar law remained in effect in New York. Religious organizations there had to continue the litigation even after the Supreme Court had essentially decided the issue.It is also not enough for states to rely solely on constitutional protections or a Religious Freedom Restoration Act.These safeguards are vital but not sufficient. When a religious organization’s hiring or service conflicts with state “nondiscrimination” laws, it should not have to spend years in court to prove its right to operate according to its beliefs. States can and should pass clear exemptions that prevent such conflicts from ever arising.Finally, state tax and regulatory codes can have a major impact on whether faith-based organizations thrive. Many religious nonprofits are treated like for-profit corporations, subject to tax regimes and administrative filings, fees, and audits that make it hard for them to operate. States should look closely at such laws and remove unnecessary burdens that divert precious time and resources away from ministry and service.No matter who sits in the White House or on the Supreme Court, state laws remain a foundation of religious liberty. The Faith and Freedom Index remains an important tool to protect and foster the work of religious organizations and religious liberty in general.Voters should consider how laws in their states burden religion when they cast their votes. Policymakers should pay close attention to laws that may seem tedious but can make or break the needed work of religious organizations. And our government leaders should work to enact laws that foster religious liberty, so that religion can serve its proper role in contributing to the common good.

A Louisiana middle school boy is facing 10 felony counts for using AI to create fake nude photos of female classmates and sharing them with other students, according to multiple reports. However, one alleged female victim has been expelled following her reported reaction to the scandal. On Aug. 26, detectives with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into reports that male students had shared fake nude photos of female classmates at the Sixth Ward Middle School in Choctaw.'What’s going on here, I’ll be quite frank, is nothing more than disgusting.'Benjamin Comeaux, an attorney representing the alleged female victim, said the images used real photos of the girls, including selfies, with AI-generated nude bodies, the Washington Post reported.Comeaux said administrators reported the incident to the school resource officer, according to the Post. The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office said in a statement that the incident "led to an altercation on a school bus involving one of the male students and one of the female students."Comeaux said during a bus ride, several boys shared AI-made nude images of a 13-year-old girl, and the girl in question struck one of the students sharing the images, the Post reported.However, school administrators expelled the 13-year-old girl over the physical altercation. Meanwhile, police said that a male suspect on Sept. 15 was charged with 10 counts of unlawful dissemination of images created by artificial intelligence. The sheriff's office noted that the investigation is ongoing, and there is a possibility of additional arrests and charges.Sheriff Craig Webre noted that the female student involved in the alleged bus fight will not face criminal charges "given the totality of the circumstances."Webre added that the investigation involves technology and social media platforms, which could take several weeks and even months to "attain and investigate digital evidence."RELATED: 'A great deal of concern': High school student calls for AI regulations after fake nude images of her shared online The alarming incident was brought back to life during a fiery Nov. 5 school board meeting during which attorneys for the expelled female student slammed school administrators. According to WWL-TV, an attorney said, "She had enough, what is she supposed to do?" "She reported it to the people who are supposed to protect her, but she was victimized, and finally she tried to knock the phone out of his hand and swat at him," the same attorney added.One attorney also noted, "This was not a random act of violence ... this was a reasonable response to what this kid endured, and there were so many options less than expulsion that could’ve been done. Had she not been a victim, we’re not here, and none of this happens."Her representatives also warned, "You are setting a dangerous precedent by doing anything other than putting her back in school," according to WWL.Matthew Ory, one of the attorneys representing the female student, declared, "What’s going on here, I’ll be quite frank, is nothing more than disgusting. Her image was taken by artificial intelligence and manipulated and manufactured to be child pornography."School board member Valerie Bourgeois pushed back by saying, "Yes, she is a victim, I agree with that, but if she had not hit the young man, we wouldn’t be here today, it wouldn’t have come to an expulsion hearing."Tina Babin, another school board member, added, "I found the video on the bus to be sickening, the whole thing, everything about it, but the fact that this child went through this all day long does weigh heavy on me."Lafourche Parish Public Schools Superintendent Jarod Martin explained, "Sometimes in life, we can be both victims and perpetrators. Sometimes in life, horrible things happen to us, and we get angry and do things."Ultimately, the school board allowed the girl to return to school, but she will be on probation until January.Attorneys for the girl's family, Greg Miller and Morgyn Young, told WWL that they intend to file a lawsuit."Nobody took any action to confiscate cell phones, to put an end to this," Miller claimed. "It's pure negligence on the part of the school board."Martin defended the district in a statement that read: Any and all allegations of criminal misconduct on our campuses are immediately reported to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. After reviewing this case, the evidence suggests that the school did, in fact, follow all of our protocols and procedures for reporting such instances.Sheriff Webre warned, "While the ability to alter images has been available for decades, the rise of AI has made it easier for anyone to alter or create such images with little to no training or experience."Webre also said, "This incident highlights a serious concern that all parents should address with their children.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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