INTERNACIONAL
‘Pagan’ outreach, Wiccan prayer defense could haunt Dem in battleground race
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Republicans are escalating attacks on Iowa Democratic candidate Sarah Trone Garriott by pointing to her past op-eds — including her defense of a Wiccan-led statehouse prayer in which she argued «Jesus engaged with pagans» — in a high-stakes race for a GOP-held district.
Democratic congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister who is vying for the battleground seat held by Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, penned an op-ed in The Des Moines Register in 2015 criticizing Christian lawmakers who boycotted a Wiccan-led statehouse prayer. This writing and others, including another op-ed in which she shared how the 9/11 terrorist attacks made her «more aware of the rising anti-Muslim bigotry and its harm,» have become the target of GOP attacks as the Republicans ramp up efforts to defend their House majority.
«Sarah Trone Garriott is once again wagging her finger at Iowans for not being woke enough and embracing her coastal elite Harvard values,» RNC spokesman Zachary Kraft said in a statement to Fox News Digital. «Trone Garriott better hope those spells and potions work if her campaign strategy is to oppose men in women’s sports and embrace neopagan witchcraft.»
Garriott’s 2015 opinion piece titled, ‘Look closely at scripture before acting in faith,’ blasted Iowa lawmakers for skipping the prayer led by a self-described «cabot witch,» saying they didn’t «look closely and honestly» at Christian Holy Scriptures when deciding to boycott.
CBS NEWS’ MARGARET BRENNAN ACCUSED OF MOCKING PEOPLE OF FAITH AFTER PETE HEGSETH’S PRAYER REMARKS
State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, speaks during debate on a bill in the Iowa Senate at the Statehouse in Des Moines, Iowa, on March 14, 2023. (Charlie Neibergall / AP)
A spokesperson for Garriott shared in a statement to Fox News Digital that the message behind her opinion piece was to call on her fellow Christians to love everyone, including pagans.
«As Sarah said, her faith in God calls her to follow Jesus’ example of loving one’s neighbor and spreading His grace to everyone, including those whose belief systems are fundamentally different from her own Christianity,» a spokesperson for Garriott said. «Scripture teaches Jesus’ unconditional grace, and that’s the belief that grounds Sarah’s life and ministry.»
Wicca is a modern pagan tradition in which members worship a Goddess and God and engage in witchcraft and rituals. One Iowa House member who boycotted told The Des Moines Register at the time that he felt uncomfortable «seeking guidance from the occult.»
Another lawmaker told The Des Moines Register he attended the invocation but turned his back in protest, saying he asked himself what Jesus would do and felt compelled to act in that way.
«Clearly, Christian elected officials should be asking, ‘What would Jesus do?’ when it comes to matters of budget and public safety,» Garriott wrote. «But at the least, as a Christian, I would appreciate it if they would actually consult the recorded witness of Jesus’ life and teaching before claiming to act in his name.»
WARNOCK LIKENS PRO-TRUMP CHRISTIAN LEADERS TO THOSE WHO USED SCRIPTURE TO DEFEND SLAVERY
Rudy Alderette’s altar in his Fresno, California home includes a cauldron with a pentagram, a wand, chalice, statues of the Wiccan god and goddess, and incense holder. (Darrell Wong / Fresno Bee / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Garriott wrote that «Christians specifically» should be aware that Jesus interacted with pagans throughout the New Testament, noting that Jesus always acted from «a place of kindness and compassion,» and that he «did not turn his back» on the pagans he met.
She listed Mark 7:24-30, Luke 8:26-39, Matthew 15:21-28 and John 4:5-38 as examples of Jesus interacting with pagans. In those passages, Jesus is depicted interacting with non-Jews but not participating in their religious practices.
Garriott next suggested that Jesus Christ was more concerned with the behavior of Christians than with pagans.
«Instead, it was the hypocrisy of those of his own religious community that Jesus protested — and not silently,» Garriott wrote.
TEXAS DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINEE JAMES TALARICO DOUBLES DOWN ON GOD BEING «BEYOND GENDER» COMMENTS
Congressman-elect Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) attends orientation for newly elected members of the 118th U.S. Congress, following the 2022 midterm elections, at the Hyatt Hotel in Washington, U.S., November 13, 2022. (REUTERS/Michael A. McCoy)
Nunn’s spokesperson Mark Matava weighed in, arguing the opinion piece is just another example of Garriott’s «preachy» radical views.
«Sarah Trone Garriott has been lecturing Iowans for over a decade,» Matava said. «Choose a Christian school for your kids and she calls it segregation. Stand up for your daughter in sports and she calls it sexism. Walk out of a witchcraft invocation and she calls it bigotry.»
Garriott has previously criticized the display of Christian symbols in political spaces, arguing America is «not a Christian nation,» but «it’s a nation for all of us,» in remarks before her congregation.
In early April, RNC Research posted on X a clip of Garriott speaking in which she shared the «uncomfortable ways» in which Christianity was showing up in politics. She argued that the conflation of the American flag and cross is an example of how Christianity has become «threatening.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
In another clip posted by RNC Research, Garriott talked about how Iowa has «a long way to go» to ensure that Iowans are truly represented.
«It’s mostly white, mostly Christian, mostly older men,» Garriott said. «We have tremendous opportunities to get different kinds of people who represent our community into those leadership positions.»
midterm elections, iowa, faith values, democrats, republicans, controversies
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A senior House Democrat is urging his party to push back against the growing socialist wing that’s been gaining influence in recent years.
«I don’t ascribe to any of those ideas at all, and I think that there’s very little support for those ideas,» Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., told Fox News Digital in an interview.
He compared the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to the House Freedom Caucus, a group on the rightmost flank of the House GOP, while denouncing the DSA’s use of the word «democratic» in its name — implying its ideals were mostly socialist in nature.
«Much like the Republicans have had to deal with the Freedom Caucus, the Democrats are going to have to deal with this group,» Suozzi said. «I don’t like the idea of them using ‘democratic.’ I think that we should be, as the Democratic Party, should be fighting against that and saying, ‘You know, you shouldn’t be using the word democratic … that’s us, that’s not you.»
RAHM EMANUEL WARNS DSA AGENDA DOESN’T PLAY WELL OUTSIDE ‘UPPER WEST SIDE OF MANHATTAN’
Members of the Democratic Socialists of America gather outside a Trump-owned building on May Day, May 1, 2019, in New York City. (Getty Images)
It comes as DSA-linked candidates are making significant inroads in primary elections across the country, even defeating incumbent House progressives in New York and Colorado.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS AIM TO TURN DEMOCRATIC CIVIL WAR INTO MIDTERM WEAPON
And as Republicans work to capitalize on a burgeoning civil war within the party, Suozzi warned fellow Democrats to take the perception of a DSA takeover seriously.
«I try not to waste my time on worry. I try to take action. So I just say very clearly, ‘That’s not me and that’s not us, and this is why that’s not us, and that’s why this is not me.’ And I fight back against it,» Suozzi said. «And there are a lot of Democrats who say, ‘Oh, if you look at it, it’s just a very small percentage in very deep-blue seats. And it’s not that big a deal.’ I think that’s wrong to just discount it like that. I think you just come out head-on, and take it on and say, ‘These guys are wrong. We’ve got nothing to do with them.’»
100 DAY SPRINT TO THE MIDTERMS KICKS OFF AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS CLASH FOR CONTROL ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Suozzi himself is part of an ever-shrinking group of moderates on both sides of the aisle. He’s also co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which is dedicated to finding legislative solutions that both parties can get behind.
The New York Democrat is one of Republicans’ top targets in the coming midterm elections, and his November victory would be key to Democrats taking back control of the House. Suozzi’s district, anchored in the wealthy Long Island suburbs outside of New York City, was won by President Donald Trump in 2024.
Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., walks down the House steps after a vote in the U.S. Capitol on April 23, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
He told Fox News Digital that Democrats should not focus on running against Trump the person, but rather argue about his specific policy actions.
«Your grocery prices are higher, your fuel prices are high, your health insurance costs are higher. Your energy bill is higher. Your kids can’t buy a house — all these different factors. And that’s happening because of this administration,» Suozzi argued. «I think it should be less about Trump himself. You know, when I say it should be a referendum on Trump, it should be a referendum on this administration’s performance addressing the things in your life.»
Meanwhile, Republicans have argued that a Democrat-controlled House will embolden the party’s socialist wing to take control and push policies that are unpopular with Americans.
In the Empire State, for example, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, has become a prominent boogeyman for the right.
Suozzi said the tactic «would be effective» if he had not distanced himself from the socialist’s policy platform early on.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a rally in New York alongside union members and immigration advocates after the Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration can revoke protections for Haitians and Syrians. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
«He’s a very smart guy, he’s very charismatic,» Suozzi said. «I just fundamentally disagree with his positions on things.»
But it’s not enough to speak out against the socialist left, Suozzi warned.
«I started a thing called The Promise to America, where I’ve got now 10 members of Congress signed onto it. We’re in the process of getting 200 state and local officials,» he said. «We’ve identified 10 candidates, Democratic candidates, to sign the pledge that says ‘We’re capitalist, not socialist. We’re for safety, not lawlessness. We’re proud, not ashamed of America, and we’re mainstream, we’re not extreme.’ So we’ve just got to organize, we’ve got to do the work necessary.»
Suozzi is running against Republican former state lawmaker Mike LiPetri, whom Trump endorsed to flip the seat red.
republicans, democrats, zohran mamdani, politics, democratic party
INTERNACIONAL
Temporal en Chile: al menos dos muertos y más de 300 afectados por las fuertes lluvias y ráfagas de 100 km/h
Al menos dos personas murieron y más de 300 resultaron afectadas debido al fuerte temporal que afecta al centro y sur de Chile, según informaron el sábado las autoridades. Las lluvias provocaron desbordes e inundaciones que mantienen en emergencia a varias comunas desde la región del Maule hasta Los Lagos.
El subsecretario del Interior, Máximo Pavez, confirmó el fallecimiento de dos personas en la región de Los Ríos. “Quisiéramos dar cuenta como gobierno del fallecimiento de dos personas en el contexto de este evento meteorológico en la Región de Los Ríos tras la caída de un árbol a su vehículo”, señaló el funcionario.
Las autoridades mantienen la alerta por las lluvias persistentes, los fuertes vientos y el aumento del caudal de los ríos. La dirección nacional del Servicio Nacional de Prevención y Respuesta ante Desastres (Senapred) reportó el sábado 347 personas damnificadas y 2.052 aisladas, principalmente por la interrupción de caminos tras el desborde de ríos. Además, la institución emitió 13 alertas de evacuación e informó sobre vientos con rachas superiores a 100 kilómetros por hora.
Además, se reportan 11 viviendas destruidas, 107 con daño mayor, 1.007 con daño menor y otras 572 en evaluación, según el levantamiento preliminar de los municipios.
El suministro eléctrico, aunque se mantiene para el 97,7% de los clientes a nivel nacional, presenta interrupciones en 155.891 hogares de las zonas afectadas. Tan solo en la Región del Biobío, más de 34.000 familias permanecen sin energía. En Alto Biobío, 180 personas quedaron aisladas y se reportan múltiples remociones en masa en localidades como Florida, Los Ángeles, Nacimiento, Mulchén y Santa Juana.
En cuanto al desarrollo de la emergencia, el fenómeno meteorológico provocó anegamientos, crecidas de ríos y remociones en masa en varios puntos. En Biobío, se declararon alertas rojas por desbordes en distintas comunas y en La Araucanía permanece vigente la alerta roja desde el viernes por condiciones similares. En total, permanecen activas ocho alertas rojas y once amarillas.
La directora nacional de Senapred, Alicia Cebrián, informó que las precipitaciones moderadas a fuertes continuarían durante la noche del sábado y solo comenzarán a disminuir hacia la madrugada y mañana del domingo. Añadió que sigue vigente el aviso meteorológico por tormentas eléctricas en sectores de La Araucanía y Los Ríos.
Las autoridades activaron en trece ocasiones el Sistema de Alerta de Emergencia (SAE) para las regiones de Biobío, La Araucanía y Los Lagos, principalmente con carácter preventivo para advertir sobre el aumento del caudal en diversos cursos de agua.
En La Araucanía, las comunas de Traiguén, Lumaco, Purén, Los Sauces, Angol, Renaico y Toltén concentran las principales afectaciones. Unas 22 personas permanecen albergadas y cerca de 38.000 clientes siguen sin energía eléctrica. En Los Ríos, continúan las alertas rojas para Valdivia, Los Lagos y La Unión debido a desbordes. Por su parte, en Los Lagos, están activas las alertas rojas para San Pablo —por el desborde del río Bueno— y para Osorno, a raíz de la crecida del río Rahue. En San Pablo, unas 300 personas se encuentran aisladas por el aumento del caudal.
Las autoridades insisten en la importancia de mantenerse informados a través de los canales oficiales, evitar acercarse a ríos y zonas inundadas, y respetar las instrucciones contenidas en los mensajes SAE. El subsecretario Pavez subrayó que, pese a las condiciones atmosféricas adversas, no se han registrado oficialmente tornados durante la jornada.
(Con información de AFP)
Disasters / Accidents,South America / Central America,Weather Markets / Weather
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Twenty-eight children from across Israel who lost a parent killed while serving in the country’s security forces participated in a three-week delegation to North America as part of the IDF Widows & Orphans Organization’s annual Bar/Bat Mitzvah program.
The journey began earlier this month in Chicago, where the children spent a weekend with host families before traveling to Camp Chi in Wisconsin for nearly a week of activities with American kids. They then continued to New York City, where they visited Times Square and saw The Lion King on Broadway, before heading to New Jersey. For many, it was their first visit to the United States.
FREED HOSTAGE ROM BRASLAVSKI DETAILS ABUSE, STARVATION DURING 738 DAYS IN GAZA CAPTIVITY
The IDF Widows & Orphans Organization’s annual Bar/Bat Mitzvah program delegation in NYC at Times Square. (Yiftach Moran)
«Everything is planned very carefully. The Lion King, for instance, is more than a Broadway show for them. It’s the story of an orphan who is able to honor his father’s memory and move forward because of the support of his friends. Nothing about this trip is accidental. It is deliberately designed to give them as powerful and meaningful an experience as possible,» Daniel Elbaum, executive director of the IDF Widows & Orphans Organization, told Fox News Digital.
With the United States home to the world’s largest Jewish population outside Israel, the trip gave the children an opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds and levels of religious observance while, for many, experiencing international travel independently for the first time — which Elbaum said reflects their entry into the covenant with the Jewish people in a tangible and meaningful way.
Although the trip was not designed as an initiative to combat antisemitism, Elbaum said fostering a strong Jewish identity, pride in Israel and solidarity with its people are among the most important ways to help American Jews confront the world’s oldest hatred.
Memorials at the site of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, Israel, on Monday, May 27, 2024. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images )
«As much as I think we are doing something important for these Israeli children, whose families have paid the highest price for Israel, what we are doing for the American children is almost as important in giving them a sense of pride and connection they might not otherwise experience,» he added.
INSIDE ISRAEL’S MISSION TO TRAIN CIVILIANS TO STOP THE NEXT OCT 7-LIKE TERROR ATTACK
Founded in 1991, the IDF Widows & Orphans Organization supports more than 18,000 widows, widowers and orphans through assistance programs, rehabilitation, advocacy and legislative efforts. Since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 massacre and the ensuing war, 359 widows and widowers — including 48 pregnant widows — and 910 new orphans have joined Israel’s circle of bereavement.
Among this year’s participants was 11½-year-old Tal Goldstein-Almog from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, who was taken hostage to Gaza with his mother and two siblings on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. His father, Nadav, and sister Yam, an IDF soldier, were murdered during the attack.
Tal did not tell the other children he had been held captive until one evening, when he felt ready to share his experience.
The IDF Widows & Orphans Organization’s annual Bar/Bat Mitzvah program delegation in NYC after seeing the Lion King on Broadway. (Yiftach Moran)
«It’s not hard to tell people, but it’s not easy either. Once you’ve said it, you don’t know how others will react or treat you. That night, it felt safe to open up, and nothing has changed in the way they treat me since,» he told Fox News Digital.
The trip was Tal’s first extended journey without his family. He learned about the program from a friend from the kibbutz who also participated.
ISRAEL’S NEW EXHIBIT EXPOSES YEARS OF HAMAS TERRORIST PLANNING BEFORE OCT 7 MASSACRE
«Now that I came, I think I will continue taking part in these things after meeting new kids, feeling comfortable around them and understanding that we experienced the same things,» he said.
Tal said that since Oct. 7, the connections in his life have helped him maintain a sense of normalcy.
«My motto is that life is always going to continue,» he added. «It feels refreshing to come to a new country and experience fun things here.»
Shadan Knefiss first participated in the program as an IDF orphan and has since returned as a counselor, supporting the next generation of bereaved children. A member of Israel’s Druze community, she also joined the delegation to help translate for participants whose first language is Arabic.
«I met a lot of people here who don’t know about the Druze. We serve the country, we love our country, and we even die for it. We pay the same price as everyone else. Most terrorists in Israel are Arab, but because we speak Arabic and serve our country, it’s a bit of a twist,» she told Fox News Digital.
SIGN UP FOR ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED NEWSLETTER
Shadan Khnefiss (left) enjoying New York pizza with other participants in the IDFWO delegation. (Yiftach Moran)
Shadan became an orphan at the age of three. Her father, a Border Police officer stationed in Jerusalem, transferred to northern Israel after her brother was born with a serious skin condition so he could be closer to the family. He was killed in a car accident during his first shift there.
«This program helped me in so many ways throughout my life. The people around me have not all lost their father, so sometimes I can’t relate to them. Sometimes I want to share how I feel, but they don’t understand. This program made me feel comfortable talking about things I can’t discuss with people in my everyday life,» she said.
Noor, 13, was one of three participants whom Shadan helped during the trip. His father, Yosef Saleh, served in the IDF before joining the Israel Police, where he was killed in the line of duty in 2013.
Noor told Fox News Digital that it was his first trip to the United States. «My message to other children like us is to go on trips, meet new kids and make new friends,» Noor said.
anti semitism, israel, judaism, terrorism
“Vamos a acelerar con todo”: el objetivo del Gobierno por las reformas y la agenda electoral de cara al 2027
Vulnerable Democrat warns party to ‘fight back’ against growing socialist movement
Arteta responde a los rumores sobre Vinicius y Julián Álvarez
Gemelo Social Digital: el proyecto que Milei presentó como una revolución, pero quedó reducido a un anuncio
Tras La Velada del Año, Ibai Llanos contó el momento íntimo que vivió con Cristiano Ronaldo: “Estaba desnudo…”
Un jugador de la selección argentina reveló la charla que tuvo con su madre sobre las teorías conspirativas por la final del Mundial
Trump admin invokes 30-year dormant terror court as it seeks to deport Afghan woman tied to Election Day plot
Creció la oferta de frutas importadas en las verdulerías: cuáles son las que más llegan y por qué
“Casta”, “parásito” y “sea democrático”: fuerte respuesta de Victoria Villarruel a Diego Santilli
Dem senator swipes credit for bill he opposed amid heated reelection bid: ‘Disturbing pattern’
POLITICA1 día ago“Casta”, “parásito” y “sea democrático”: fuerte respuesta de Victoria Villarruel a Diego Santilli
- INTERNACIONAL3 días ago
Dem senator swipes credit for bill he opposed amid heated reelection bid: ‘Disturbing pattern’
- INTERNACIONAL2 días ago
Onda tropical 27 provocará aguaceros, tormentas y fuertes ráfagas de viento este viernes en Costa Rica
