INTERNACIONAL
EXCLUSIVE: Supreme Court prayer grotto case could impact ‘every single zoning law’ in America, attorney says
FIRST ON — The Supreme Court agreed Thursday to hear a Kentucky church’s fight to build a prayer grotto on its property, taking up a dispute over what constitutes a «substantial burden» on religious exercise under federal land-use law.
Ryan Gardner, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, which represents the Missionaries of St. John the Baptist, told Digital the implications stretch far beyond the proposed Catholic shrine in Park Hills, Kentucky.
«This is a massive case for religious liberty because it has the potential to impact every single zoning law in this country,» Gardner told Digital.
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At the center of the case is a proposed 16-by-39-foot grotto that court records say would include a shrine to the Virgin Mary, a plaza, walking path and retaining wall. Gardner compared its roughly 600-square-foot footprint to the size of a swimming pool.
The church applied in March 2021 for a conditional-use permit and variance to build the grotto behind its building in honor of the Virgin Mary’s apparition to Saint Bernadette in Lourdes, France. The church building itself has stood on the property for nearly a century, predating Park Hills’ zoning ordinance adopted in 1974.
The property history is a bit more complicated than the case’s shorthand description may suggest. The proposed grotto involved an adjacent parcel that was initially subject to a perpetual lease that would be transferred to the religious organization as a condition of the project’s approval. But unlike many religious land-use disputes, Gardner said, the church’s initial fight in this case was not with the local government.
The Park Hills Board of Adjustment approved the church’s permit in April 2021. Two neighboring property owners, however, Joel and Elizabeth Frederic, objected and challenged the board’s decision in Kentucky state court.
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A trial court ruled in the church’s favor, but the Kentucky Court of Appeals reversed, concluding the board exceeded its authority in approving the project and finding no violation of federal religious land-use law. The Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed the RLUIPA ruling in December 2025, prompting the church to seek Supreme Court review.
The case centers on the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, known as RLUIPA, a federal law enacted to protect religious institutions from certain burdens on the use of their property.
«RLUIPA is at the intersection of two very critical rights in this country: the rights of religious liberty and property rights,» Gardner told Digital.
The church asked the justices to review two questions under RLUIPA, but the Supreme Court agreed to hear only one about whether prohibiting a religious institution from building a religious structure on its own property constitutes a «substantial burden» on religious exercise under the law.
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Gardner said lower courts have developed different approaches to the law since Congress enacted it in 2000, leaving religious organizations with different levels of protection depending on where a dispute arises. He argues the Supreme Court now has an opportunity to establish a clearer standard nationwide.
The missionaries similarly argued in their Supreme Court petition that federal and state courts are divided over how to determine whether a land-use restriction creates a «substantial burden» under RLUIPA. The Frederics disputed that characterization in their opposition brief, arguing appellate courts generally consider similar factors and that differing outcomes can reflect differing facts. The Frederics also argued that the Missionaries failed to show that alternative locations for the grotto were unavailable.
An attorney for the Frederics did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.
The case also puts two constitutionally significant areas of law alongside one another — religious exercise and the authority of local governments to regulate property use.
While Gardner acknowledged that zoning serves a legitimate role in how local governments organize, he argued those same regulations remain subject to federal-level protections for religious exercise. That question, he said, reaches well beyond one prayer grotto in Kentucky.
The SCOTUS ruling could affect disputes involving churches, synagogues, ministries and other religious organizations seeking to use their properties for worship or religious activities, according to Gardner. He warned that an overly narrow interpretation of the federal law could have «dire consequences» for religious land use around the country.
For the Missionaries of St. John the Baptist, however, the case that could shape religious land-use law across the country began with something much smaller, a roughly 600-square-foot place of prayer.
first amendment religion us, faith personal freedoms, federal courts, politics, faith, law, religion us
Iran-backed Houthis make gains in Red Sea
Fox News correspondent Steve Harrigan reports on Iran-backed Houthi rebel gains in the strategic Red Sea region. Hudson Institute senior fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs joins to discuss President Trump urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.
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A U.S. Department of Energy worker from Richland, Washington, was arrested Thursday and charged with attempting to provide «material support» to the Iran-backed Houthis, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, is accused of attempting to use his electrical engineering knowledge and background to support the terrorist group in improving its mobile communications infrastructure, secure components for drones as well as chemicals for homemade explosives.
«As alleged, a U.S. government employee traveled overseas and used his specialized expertise in an attempt to aid the Houthis, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization backed by Iran,» Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a statement.
«Additionally, Ellaboudy acquired materials for the construction of explosive material and drones capable of delivering these explosives. These allegations are so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination.»
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A Houthi follower during a pro-Iran demonstration in Sanaa, Yemen, April 6, 2026. (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)
Federal authorities took Ellaboudy into custody after an investigation by the FBI’s Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force.
According to court records, Ellaboudy first attracted the FBI’s attention after he allegedly bought precursor chemicals, or starting ingredients, and components often used in homemade explosives, as well as parts to make drones.
The DOJ said that, in 2024, Ellaboudy took sick leave from his Department of Energy job and said he had been exposed to highly concentrated nitric acid, a key chemical compound used in explosive manufacturing.
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Houthi supporters demonstrate in solidarity with Iran during a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran in Sanaa, Yemen, April 10, 2026. (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)
In 2025, prosecutors allege, Ellaboudy used an official passport from his previous role with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to travel from Washington state to Oman.
He then crossed into Yemen. After returning to the U.S., Ellaboudy allegedly told border officers his trip was authorized government business.
Investigators also said Ellaboudy advised an undercover FBI confidential human source posing as a representative of a Houthi colonel.
For the Houthis, Ellaboudy allegedly tested solar generators, modified power systems, created circuit schematics and provided support to the group’s communications, the statement said.
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The U.S. Department of Energy headquarters June 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
«This individual allegedly betrayed the U.S. and attempted to aid the Houthis, a designated foreign terrorist organization, but thanks to the work of the men and women of the FBI, his actions were detected, and he is now in custody,» Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division said.
Officials also confirmed Ellaboudy’s alleged activities did not target local nuclear sites.
«This matter did not involve an attempt to harm the Hanford Site or its workforce, and at no time was there a threat to the safety or security of the site,» said Ray Geimer, office manager of the Department of Energy Hanford Field Office.
Ellaboudy faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted.
He is scheduled to make his initial court appearance before a federal magistrate judge at 11 a.m. Oct. 2 in Richland, according to the Justice Department.
world, fbi, national security, terrorism, iran, middle east
INTERNACIONAL
Bolivia: detuvieron al fiscal general que investigaba a Fernando Cerimedo y que fue acusado por EE.UU. de tener vínculos con narcos
La policía detuvo este miércoles al fiscal general de Bolivia, Roger Mariaca, que investiga al consultor argentino Fernando Cerimedo por intento de femicidio y enriquecimiento ilícito, dos días después de que Estados Unidos le canceló su visa por supuestos vínculos con el narcotráfico.
“Está confirmada la detención del fiscal” Mariaca, dijo una fuente del Ministerio de Gobierno (Interior). Junto a él fue arrestado Alberto Zeballos, fiscal de Santa Cruz, también sancionado por Washington, según la prensa local.
Ambos fueron incluidos esta semana en una lista del Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos entre más de una veintena de funcionarios y empresarios de Bolivia, Colombia y Ecuador a los que acusa de corrupción, vínculos con el narcotráfico o de conspirar contra sus respectivos gobiernos.
Mariaca rechazó las acusaciones y vinculó la decisión de Washinton con las “implicaciones” que tuvieron dentro y fuera de Bolivia algunas investigaciones que lleva la Fiscalía, incluidos los casos penales contra Cerimedo, exasesor de Javier Milei y el presidente boliviano, Rodrigo Paz.
En su cuenta de X, el expresidente Evo Morales denunció un plan para liberar al consultor argentino.
“Trump usa la suspensión de visas como instrumento para presionar políticamente. Quiere cuidarse y proteger a (el presidente Rodrigo) Paz liberando a Cerimedo, que está acusado por atentar contra la vida de su pareja y su hijo, sicariato, corrupción, narcotráfico, enriquecimiento ilícito, entre otros delitos”, escribió.
En otro tramo de su mensaje, afirmó: “Sino, ¿por qué el gobierno de Estados Unidos refugia a alguien con sentencia por corrupción como Mauricio Urquidi, suegro de Rodrigo Paz, padre de su esposa, Maria Elena Urquidi? Lo que corresponde por dignidad de la patria, es que si alguien tiene denuncias o está implicado en narcotráfico o corrupción debe ser procesado en Bolivia, por soberanía jurídica».
Qué dijo la Fiscalía
Tras la detención de Mariaca, la Fiscalía General señaló en un comunicado que asumirá el cargo de forma interina Luis Montaño Morales, “el fiscal superior con mayor antigüedad” dentro de la institución. Mariaca fue designado fiscal por el Congreso en octubre de 2024 y es este poder del Estado el que debe votar por una nueva autoridad.
Las autoridades bolivianas no informaron los motivos de la detención ni sobre qué orden de captura actuaron. Mariaca y Zeballos fueron detenidos en el aeropuerto de Viru Viru, en la ciudad de Santa Cruz, reportaron medios locales.
Según dijo el gobierno estadounidense, Mariaca recibió “sobornos para facilitar el narcotráfico y ayudar a delincuentes violentos a evadir la justicia”.
Durante la gestión de Mariaca, la policía de Bolivia capturó en marzo al narcotraficante uruguayo Sebastián Marset, que posteriormente fue expulsado con apoyo de la DEA a Estados Unidos.
EFE)
Bolivia
Flydubai co-pilot attempts to crash plane, thwarted by hero passengers
Co-pilot stabs pilot and attempts to crash a flydubai flight bound for Israel, but is thwarted by hero passengers. Trey Yingst reports from Tel Aviv on the diverted flight carrying over 100 Israelis. MDA paramedic Aryeh Myers joins the segment to detail the emergency response and medical care provided to passengers on the ground.
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The Indian pilot being credited with helping save the lives of 174 passengers after being stabbed on a FlyDubai aircraft heading to Israel has «shown the world the highest form of courage,» India’s prime minister said.
Narendra Modi said Thursday that Capt. Smit Machchhar, «without fearing for his own life,» had «fought valiantly and prevented another 9/11-like attack from happening» on Wednesday aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, which had to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Modi added that India is saluting Machchhar and is «praying for his wellbeing.» The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia described the «brave» pilot as being in stable condition after being taken to a hospital.
«Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian captain of FlyDubai Flight 1073, fought back after being stabbed in the cockpit,» according to the Israel Foreign Ministry. «Despite being severely injured, he managed to unlock the cockpit door – allowing Israeli passengers and the Emirati crew to intervene and save all the passengers.»
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Capt. Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who allegedly was attacked on a FlyDubai plane heading to Israel on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Israel Foreign Ministry)
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said on Wednesday there was «no doubt» that a FlyDubai pilot who allegedly stabbed Machchhar was attempting to bring down the plane, calling it a miracle that the aircraft was able to land safely.
«We have no doubt that it was a terror attack of a radical individual,» Danon said on Fox News’ «The Ingraham Angle.»
«We know that there was an intention to bring that plane down, and we are grateful,» he continued.
After the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia, another FlyDubai aircraft was brought in to bring the passengers to their destination of Tel Aviv.
«I did speak to [Israeli Prime Minister] Bibi [Benjamin] Netanyahu at length about this event, and it seems as though the copilot was perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job. And he stabbed the pilot,» President Donald Trump said Wednesday.
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A FlyDubai aircraft carrying Israelis who experienced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia is seen parked at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Ariel Schalit/AP)
Machchhar’s LinkedIn profile stated he has worked for FlyDubai for about four years, according to The Associated Press.
Before joining the airline, Machchhar, who is from Mumbai, spent 11 years with SpiceJet, an Indian low-cost carrier, where he served as a senior commander and line training captain. He logged more than 9,750 flying hours with SpiceJet, according to the profile.
SpiceJet, in a post on X, praised Machchhar’s «heroic courage» and «selfless actions.»
«You are a hero to us all, Captain,» the airline wrote.
Machchhar, who is married and has two children, trained as a pilot at Mainland Air in the New Zealand city of Dunedin for 18 months, beginning in 2008, the school’s head Philip Kean told 1News, a New Zealand television news channel.
Shota Musayev, a dentist and eyewitness, told The Associated Press how the wounded Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door to let passengers in before they grappled with the copilot.
Musayev then treated Machchhar.
Israeli passenger Haim Lazarovich, who experienced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, during a flight on FlyDubai plane, arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
«Poor pilot, he was just praying the whole time and was in contact with me, and I was afraid we would really lose him,» Musayev said.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz, Stepheny Price and The Associated Press contributed to this post.
israel, saudi arabia, airlines, middle east, world
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EXCLUSIVE: Supreme Court prayer grotto case could impact ‘every single zoning law’ in America, attorney says
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