Texas Supreme Court Upholds Gender-Affirming Care Ban

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The Supreme Court on Friday dramatically clawed back power from federal regulators by overturning decades of precedent that had been set in the 1984 Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council case. In a 6-3 decision that again split along ideological lines, the high court ripped up the Chevron precedent, which called for judicial deference to agencies in situations where the law is unclear. As a result, it will become much easier for the court system to overrule regulations and for...

On Friday, the Supreme Court overturned a long-standing legal doctrine in the US, making a transformative ruling that could hamper federal agencies’ ability to regulate all kinds of industry. Six Republican-appointed justices voted to overturn the doctrine, called Chevron deference, a decision that could affect everything from pollution limits to consumer protections in the US.  Chevron deference allows courts to defer to federal agencies when there are disputes over how to interpret...

The Supreme Court on Friday disrupted the balance of power in Washington, D.C., by overturning a 40-year-old precedent protecting federal agencies’ work. The precedent, called the Chevron doctrine, instructed judges across the country to defer to federal agencies’ interpretation of the laws passed by Congress even when the agencies’ rules had no clear basis in the written text. Friday’s ruling puts the onus on Congress to pass clearer, more specific policies, and gives individual...

The cinematic retelling of Jesus’s story has a profound power to touch both believers and non-believers alike. Films like Cecil B. DeMille’s “The King of Kings” (1927) offered grand, sweeping visuals that brought the biblical narrative to life, creating an emotional connection that transcends religious boundaries. Franco Zeffirelli’s “Jesus of Nazareth” (1977) meticulously portrays Jesus’s life with depth and nuance, inviting viewers from all walks of life to engage with his teachings, humanity, and divinity. Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” (2004) presents a visceral, intense depiction of Jesus’s suffering, compelling audiences to confront the raw emotions of his sacrifice. These films, with their powerful storytelling and visual impact, have the ability to evoke deep reflection, empathy, and inspiration, resonating universally regardless of faith. Unlike these, however, A Deaf Missions Film aims to connect with a specific demographic: the 96% to 98% of deaf Americans who are also non-believers.   Jesus: A Deaf Missions Film The greatest story ever told has returned to the silver screen, but this time with a unique distinction. A Deaf Missions Film presents Jesus’s Ministry and Passion entirely in American Sign Language (ASL), making it the only religious film—and the only film of any kind—to do so. Created by deaf people for deaf people, it is truly a film of a mission with a mission.   Jesus: A Deaf Missions Film Review Making a quality movie with quality people on both sides of the camera is already a daunting enough task. One need only look at the sad state of American cinema to see how shallow the talent pool has become. Combine that with finding an entire cast that is fluent in American Sign Language, and you would need a miracle to demonstrate even base-level competence. Fortunately, this film surpasses that lowly metric, and Jesus: A Deaf Missions Film exceeds expectations. Bolstered by chronicling the most important event in human history since the creation of the universe, the cast and crew’s obvious love for the source material, and their clear devotion to the cause of bringing the Word to the hearing impaired, Jesus brings its own special beauty to Christ’s story, despite any weaknesses that it might have. The performances range from a handful of not-so-greats to a majority of not-too-bads, with Ryan Schlecht playing Caiaphas arguably giving the film’s best performance. Schlecht’s focus is fairly strong throughout, and the role of Caiaphas naturally lends itself to film-friendly theatrics. Playing Jesus, Gideon Firl infuses our savior with a refreshing sweetness not generally portrayed in other big-screen adaptations of our Savior, the one exception perhaps being the chair scene in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ. Jesus’ production value outstrips what was no doubt a very modest budget. Costumes seem appropriate, if maybe a little too new-looking, and locations and sets are perfectly adequate.  The filmmakers took advantage of some computer-enhanced establishing shots that do a fine job conveying the land’s scope and its important locales, even if their artificial nature is apparent. Unlike The Greatest Story Ever Told or King of Kings, which tells of Jesus’ life from beginning to end to beginning, or The Passion, which focuses on Jesus’ final days on Earth, Jesus: A Deaf Missions Film focuses mainly on Jesus’ ministry, playing all of the hits from healing the sick to raising the dead. It’s an understandable choice given the filmmakers’ goal of spreading the Word to a niche market that hasn’t been exposed to it. Still, it lacks an emotional throughline that a more focused story would have conveyed and subsequently feels like a series of short plays rather than one long narrative. That said, those well-versed in the source material will appreciate the various tales, and each one is so significant to the rest of history, Western civilization, and our own personal stories that I have no doubt many and more deaf viewers will be moved to partner with Christ while hearing believers like myself will find themselves moved by the love and sacrifice made on our unworthy behalfs.   WOKE ELEMENTS Prove To Me That You’re No Fool, Walk Across My Swimming Pool No The post Jesus A Deaf Missions Film first appeared on Worth It or Woke.

On December 10, Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas set sail on the Ultimate World Cruise—a 274-day global trek that visits 11 world wonders and over 60 countries. This incredible trip covers the Americas, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Mediterranean and Europe with a ticket price that ranges from $53,999 to $117,599 per passenger.Aboard the Serenade to the Seas is popular TikToker Marc Sebastian, who has been sharing his experience on the platform.In a recent video with over 4.3 million views, he revealed what he’s learned over his first few weeks aboard the ship; the biggest was the one word you’re not allowed to say: Titanic.“Who knew that? I didn’t,” Sebastian said. “I brought it up to an entire room of people having lunch that our ship is only 100 feet longer than the Titanic — when I tell you that utensils dropped. Waiters gasped. It’s dead silent.” @marcsebastianf someone get whoopi on the line girl i have some goss for her #ultimateworldcruise #worldcruise #serenadeoftheseas #cruisetok #cruise #9monthcruise #titanic After the unexpected reaction, his cruise friend told him, “You’re not allowed to talk about the Titanic.” It makes sense. Who wants to be reminded of the tragedy that killed around 1,500 people while sinking one of the most impressive engineering feats of the era? "When I went on a cruise, my mom told me saying Titanic was equivalent to screaming ‘bomb’ at an airport," Mikayla wrote in the comments.Later in the video, Sebastian admits he was surprised to learn that cruise ships have godmothers and that the pools are filled with seawater.This article originally appeared on 1.25.24

The way we come across long-lasting friendships is often unexpected. But when you're part of a military family. You learn to grab hold of the good people you meet and carry those friendships across states and oceans. You mark your friendships based off of what base you were stationed at when you met them and know those friendships can withstand just about anything because they've been tried.So for an American family stationed in Japan, there was no doubt at least one lifelong friendship would be made. It just may have been surprising that the friend wasn't affiliated with the military. Instead, the friend was an older Japanese man who didn't speak English and lived next door to the young family in Yokosuka, Japan.But this isn't the first time this unique story went viral. In 2013, Reddit user Theresa52 posted a picture of a note that she received from her neighbor-turned-friend. People loved the letter and sweet story attached. Theresa explained that after moving to their new neighborhood in Japan, she and her husband passed out beer and chocolate to their neighbors. A few hours later, they met, Hiroshi Yamashita, their new neighbor and one of the recipients of their gift.When Yamashita knocked on the family's door, he presented them with gifts of his own—toilet paper, stuffed animals and a note. In the thread Theresa noted, "Things that are consumable and household necessities are popular gifts. We have heard lots of stories about people getting laundry soap," after someone asked if toilet paper was a common housewarming gift in Japan. The stuffed animals were for their infant daughter at the time.But the note is what keeps going viral. It starts out, "I can’t speak English. Thank you for the present. My name is Hiroshi Yamashita. I’m 52 years old. [I’m divorced] and I live alone.” Since Yamashita didn't speak English, the note had some spots that were difficult to understand but the intent was clearly pure. Theresa wrote in the comments of the post that it appeared that he was asking if her husband was in the Navy. While the sentences are out of order a bit, if you reorganize them a little, it seems Yamashita is attempting to say, "I have stuffed animals and toilet paper. You can use it if you'd like."The man concludes the letter with "Thank you for your friend operation." It seemed that he was thanking the family for their hospitality, but Reddit users surmised that he was referring to Operation Friendship in 2011 when the United States aided Japan after an earthquake. Either way, it was still friendship operation because what says friendship like taking time out of your day to write in a language you don't speak just to make sure your neighbors feel welcomed?“It was adorable! We had brought him a six pack and some chocolate and tried to introduce ourselves to him. A couple hours later he brought over this letter with a pack of toilet paper and some stuffed animals for our daughter," Theresa wrote in the comments while joking that their initial introduction probably amused Yamashita. Further explaining within comment threads, Theresa said that they used pointing and Google Translate when they initially met Yamashita, and in turn, he used a translator app to write the note. Theresa shared an update in the comments about six years after the story originally went viral saying, “We all exchanged gifts and food regularly for the four years I lived there. We would go to neighborhood festivals and have dinners together as well. I miss them all and think about them often."You never know when being kind will turn into a life long friendship. We certainly hope Yamashita and Theresa are doing just as well today and are continuing to spread their kindness around. This article originally appeared on 2.23.23