Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, and we have some really fascinating stories to share with you today. Here’s what’s going on.
An appeals court in Washington state is siding with a Christian group, former President Donald Trump and the CEO of X had a lively discussion online, and a new CEO is taking over a popular coffee chain. Also, a court rules that most geofence warrants are unconstitutional, and many people are truly worried about finding their next job.
Appeals Court Reverses Previous Ruling in Favor of Christian Group
A federal appeals court has ruled that a Christian group in the state of Washington has shown it’s being injured by a state bias law, so the panel of judges is reversing a lower court decision and reviving the group’s case against state officials.The Union Gospel Mission of Yakima sued the state in 2023 over the Washington Law Against Discrimination, which prohibits employers from discriminating based on sexual orientation. It said the law is unconstitutional and that the group is negatively affected because the mission requires prospective employees to sign a form that states they agree to follow a Christian lifestyle, which includes only engaging in sexual conduct within marriage between a man and a woman.
However, U.S. District Judge Mary Dimke rejected the lawsuit and ruled the case was outside of her jurisdiction. It asked for a review of precedent established by the Washington Supreme Court, which ruled that a Christian group violated the law when it decided not to hire a man who was in a gay relationship.
So, due to the threat of prosecution, the Union Gospel Mission stopped listing job openings and decided not to publish requirements for its employees online—which it said effectively chilled the mission’s religious exercise and speech, and caused the group irreparable harm.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit panel agreed with the organization, and ruled that it has shown it’s being injured by the law by having to self-censor. The ruling also stated that there’s a possibility that state officials will prosecute the group if it continues to hire based on the belief that marriage is between a man and a woman. So, the judges overturned Dimke’s ruling and instead indicated that she should reconsider the case, including entering a preliminary injunction.
Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel Ryan Tucker, who is representing the mission, said that the appeals court correctly overturned the lower court’s dismissal, which will permit the ministry to pursue protection for its constitutional rights in federal court.
Trump and Musk Discuss Government Spending, Inflation, and Efficiency in X Interview
The wide-ranging conversation was broadcast in audio format in a Space on X, but it was delayed by more than 30 minutes due to what Musk said was a DDoS attack—a distributed denial of service—which is a cyberattack that overwhelmed the site and limited access to users. Once that was solved, the interview kicked off, with more than 1 million people listening at times during the two-hour chat.Musk and Trump spoke about issues including the assassination attempt on the former president, the economy, energy prices, and the standing of the United States in the world.
Musk suggested forming a government efficiency commission to ensure the “country lives within its means,” adding that he believes federal overspending is the root cause of inflation. Trump responded by saying Musk would be very good at heading that commission.
When it came to energy policy, Trump and Musk expressed different opinions on a sustainable energy economy and how quickly that transition should occur in the United States. Trump noted how fossil fuel is used in the power plants that generate electricity for the sort of electric cars that Tesla, Musk’s other company, manufactures. Musk agreed, saying he believes the oil and gas industry is essential to the U.S. economy.
You should know that Trump also discussed his administration’s efforts to prioritize deregulation before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in early 2020.
Starbucks CEO Steps Down, Chipotle CEO to Take Over
Starbucks Corporation has just announced that Laxman Narasimhan is stepping down from his role as CEO and as a member of the Starbucks board after one year on the job, effective immediately.The company put out a statement yesterday saying that Brian Niccol, the current head of Chipotle Mexican Grill, will take over as chairman and chief executive officer, effective Sept. 9. Rachel Ruggeri, currently Starbucks’ chief financial officer, will serve as interim CEO until Niccol assumes his new role.
Niccol has served as chairman and CEO of Chipotle since 2018, and under his leadership, the company’s revenue nearly doubled, profits increased sevenfold, and the stock price rose by approximately 800 percent.
His career before Chipotle includes roles at Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Procter & Gamble. He currently serves on the board of directors of Walmart and holds degrees from Miami University and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Mellody Hobson, who will become the lead independent director of Starbucks, expressed enthusiasm for Niccol’s appointment, stating that his phenomenal career speaks for itself and that he’s a “culture carrier who brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of driving innovation and growth.”
Niccol expressed his excitement about joining Starbucks, saying that he has long admired the iconic brand, unique culture, and commitment to enhancing human connections around the globe.
Interesting to note, Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ founder who stepped down as head of the company last year, said he supports Niccol, going on to say that his “retail excellence and track record in delivering extraordinary shareholder value recognize the critical human element it takes to lead a culture and values-driven enterprise.”
Most Geofence Warrants Are Unconstitutional: Appeals Court
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled unanimously that geofence warrants, which collect a list of phones and phone owners who were at or near the scene when a crime was committed, violate the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment.So you know, the Fourth Amendment protects people against “unreasonable searches and seizures.”
The ruling stems from a case where three people who robbed a U.S. Postal Service driver in 2018 sued because investigators turned to geofence warrants when they couldn’t identify any suspects.
The individuals involved said they have a reasonable expectation of privacy when it concerns their digital data.
The Fifth Circuit court’s decision runs counter to a recent ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. It had found that geofencing warrants did not violate Fourth Amendment rights because the defendant in that case voluntarily shared the information that was ultimately gained by law enforcement with Google.
However, the Fifth Circuit panel also said many users weren’t informed about how Google uses its location services and that it might not have even been voluntary to opt in to a Google search. The panel pointed to Google’s own employees, who indicated that deactivating Location History data based on Google’s “limited and partially hidden” warnings is actually quite difficult.
You should know that while the panel sided with the individuals, its decision also upheld a lower court ruling. That ruling rejected a motion to suppress the evidence that law enforcement officers obtained through the results gathered from the geofence warrants.
Job Security Concerns Grow as Probability of Finding New Employment Dips
The latest survey by the Federal Bank of New York shows growing job insecurity among Americans, coupled with a surge in debt-delinquency expectations, which have reached their highest level since the pandemic. These developments point to mounting challenges for U.S. consumers and signal potential trouble ahead.According to the New York Fed’s survey, which was released on Monday, American consumers have become more pessimistic about the prospect of finding a new job after losing their current one. This perceived probability of finding new employment fell by less than 1 percentage point, to 52.5 percent in July.
That drop is actually considered a significant decline, made worse given the recent disappointing government jobs report. It showed that the U.S. economy created fewer jobs than expected, and the unemployment rate rose to 4.3 percent, while many expected that number to hold steady at 4.1 percent.
The survey also highlighted that the average perceived probability of missing a minimum debt payment over the next three months increased by 1 percent, to 13.3 percent, which is the highest level since April 2020, when the economy was in the grip of the pandemic recession.
Interesting to note that those who say U.S. households are in decent shape for the moment align with the New York Fed survey, which shows that households’ current financial situations compared to a year ago have improved slightly. On the flip side, the survey also showed that moving forward, households may be managing for now, but they are increasingly worried about the future, particularly as job prospects become more uncertain.
Before we go—and we talked about this yesterday, very important—with each passing day this summer, more and more young folks are heading back to school, so when you’re out and about, please be extra cautious when you’re driving in and around school zones. Let’s do all we can to ensure that our students make it to and from their campus as safely as possible.
And now, looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Wednesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
Thanks for sharing some time with us today, and please invite your friends, family, and co-workers to join the News Brief family as well. Everybody is welcome in our cozy little family.
*(Don’t forget the News Brief Motto): We’re portable, affordable, and always on-demand.
And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote, and this one comes to us from Jay Leno, who once said: “You cannot be mad at somebody who makes you laugh—it’s as simple as that.”
Among his many accomplishments, Jay Leno was The Tonight Show host from 1992 until 2009, and he hosted again from 2010 to 2014.
Before we go, today is National Creamsicle Day. A creamsicle is an ice cream treat, and it’s not half bad. It’s vanilla ice cream on a popsicle stick with an outer coating of sherbet. Banana splits are mildly better, but a creamsicle on a hot summer day is pretty okay.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your Wednesday, and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. Let’s all continue to watch out for one another, have a superb day today, and bye for now.
