Midwest

New report identifies best and worst US states for religious liberty

Published

1 year ago

July 26, 2024

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New report identifies best and worst US states for religious liberty

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It is the First Amendment of the Constitution that protects religious freedom, with the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause further safeguarding that right.

A recent report by First Liberty Institute, the Texas-based nonprofit Christian conservative legal organization, shows which U.S. states are making good on that promise — with others falling behind.

The nonprofit compared how the 50 states protect religious liberty through legislation.

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The third annual “Religious Liberty in the States” report ranked the states on an index based on 39 legal provisions that states can adopt to protect religious liberty.

After determining whether states have the statutes, the protections are accumulated into 16 “safeguards,” which are averaged to produce one index score per state.

The First Amendment of the Constitution protects religious freedom by prohibiting Congress from establishing a religion or interfering with its free exercise. (spxChrome)

New “safeguards” this year include absentee voting, health-care provisions, health insurance mandates, marriage and wedding issues, religious ceremonial life safeguards, and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

“This dynamic index will increasingly represent how well states protect religious liberty in the present and will be less tied to what states did decades ago,” said Paul Mueller, associate director of the project, in a press release.

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“Therefore, we expect states to move up (or down) in the annual index ratings based on how actively they choose to protect religious liberty.”

First Liberty Institute released its annual “Religious Liberty in the States” report, which ranked Illinois as the best state for protecting religious liberty. (iStock)

Illinois is again considered the No. 1 state for religious liberty in this report, but its score slipped from 85% to 80% due to its failure to adopt new protections to prevent houses of worship from closing, the organization noted.

Following the Prairie State, Florida, Montana and Arkansas are listed among the top.

Mississippi capped off the top five best states.

First Liberty Institute released its third annual “Religious Liberty in the States” report. (Ildar Abulkhanov)

“Now is the time for every state to do all they can to protect our first freedom,” said Kelly Shackelford, First Liberty Institute’s president, CEO and chief counsel, in the release.

“The Religious Liberty in the States index empowers citizens with the knowledge they need to push to ensure their religious liberties are more fully protected.”

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Listed at the bottom by First Liberty are California, ranked 48th, and Alaska, at 49th place.

The worst state for religious liberty based on the report is West Virginia at 25%.

First Liberty Institute noted that the state’s score rose from the previous year from 14%, due to the adoption of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The worst state for religious liberty based on the new report is West Virginia, according to a First Liberty Institute report. (spxChrome; Ildar Abulkhanov)

West Virginia’s Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, signed the law in March prohibiting the state from substantially burdening someone’s constitutional right to freedom of religion unless doing so “is essential to further a compelling governmental interest,” the Associated Press reported at the time.

First Liberty noted on its website, “Many states are making big improvements, and the data clearly shows it. But there’s still plenty of room for progress.”

It added, “The majority of states are doing less than half of what they could be doing. Only 12 states had 50% or higher of the religious liberty protections. As [stated in] the report, most states on average adopt less than half of the safeguards that protect religious liberty.”

Fox News Digital reached out to First Liberty Institute for additional comment.

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Cleveland, OH

When will snow start in Northeast Ohio? Latest timing and snow map

Published

3 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

When will snow start in Northeast Ohio? Latest timing and snow map

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Snow will impact Northeast Ohio this weekend, and the timing for when it begins will vary depending on your location.

Forecasters say lake-effect snow will spread across the snowbelt of Northeast Ohio through early Saturday afternoon, while a clipper system from the southwest will bring a broader area of accumulating snow to inland areas later Saturday.

As a result, a lake-effect snow warning has been issued for Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties, while a winter weather advisory has been issued for the rest of Northeast Ohio.

Once snow begins accumulating, travel conditions are expected to deteriorate quickly, with slick roads and reduced visibility likely. Motorists can check ohgo.com for the latest road conditions.

The latest snow timing across Northeast Ohio

The first impacts will be felt in the primary snowbelt, where lake-effect snow will develop by early afternoon. Northeastern Cuyahoga County and much of Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga counties could see snow begin before 2 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland.

Between 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday, accumulating snow will approach from the southwest and spread into areas outside the snowbelt. By Saturday afternoon and evening, snow is expected to become more widespread across much of the region.

Latest snow map: What it shows

Map of Northern Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania with blue, yellow and orange shading showing expected snowfall amounts, Dec. 13-15 — The latest map from the National Weather Service shows how much snow will fall through Monday morning. The primary snowbelt east of Cleveland is expected to see the highest total accumulations, with up to 10 inches possible in some areas.Courtesy National Weather Service

The newest snow map from the weather service shows little change to expected snowfall, with higher amounts in the snowbelt and lower totals farther inland.

Most communities outside the primary snowbelt are expected to see 1 to 4 inches of snow from Saturday’s system, while 5 to 10 inches remain possible in the snowbelt through Sunday night. The highest totals are most likely east of Cleveland, where lake-effect snow is forecast to persist the longest.

Snow continues into Sunday

Snow will not end once Saturday’s system moves through. As bone-chilling Arctic air moves across Lake Erie, conditions will remain favorable for lake-effect snow to continue into Sunday.

The primary snowbelt is expected to bear the brunt of the impact, where persistent or occasionally shifting snow bands could continue producing accumulating snow. Areas outside the snowbelt could also see additional accumulations Sunday as lake-effect bands push inland at times.

Forecasters warn snowfall rates could reach 1 to 2 inches per hour within stronger bands, leading to rapidly changing conditions.

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Illinois

2025 FCS football championship: Bracket, schedule, scores

Published

1 hour ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

2025 FCS football championship: Bracket, schedule, scores

The 2025-26 FCS playoffs consist of a 24-team bracket with play starting on Saturday, Nov. 29 and concluding on Monday, Jan. 5. The top 16 teams seeded and the top eight seeds receive automatic byes to the second round, while the rest of the 24-team field (the remaining 16 teams) play in the first round.

Here’s everything you need to know for the Division I Football Championship postseason.

FCS championship bracket

Click or tap here to view the bracket

FCS championship schedule

All times Eastern

Quarterfinals

Friday, December 12
Saturday, December 13

Semifinals

Saturday, December 20
- Semifinal 1 | 4 p.m. ET | ABC
- Semifinal 2 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2

National Championship

FCS championship rounds, dates

Selection show: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPNU
First round: Saturday, Nov. 29
Second round: Saturday, Dec. 6
Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 12 through Saturday, Dec. 13
Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 20
National championship: Monday, Jan. 5 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET

FCS selections

The bracket selections for the 2025-26 FCS Championship was on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. The bracket was be revealed via a selection show on ESPNU at 12 p.m. ET and a selections release.

Eleven conferences (or conference partnerships/alliances) earn automatic bids to the playoffs. The FCS Championship Committee selects the remaining 13 at-large bids.

AUTOMATIC BIDS: Click or tap here to see all 11 of the clinched auto-bids

FCS championship history

North Dakota Dakota State is the reigning national champion, winning its 10 title in 2024 with a 35-32 win over Montana State. Here’s every FCS champion and runner-up from the past decade:

Year	Champion	Coach	Score	Runner-Up	Site
2024	North Dakota State	Tim Polasek	35-32	Montana State	Frisco, Texas
2023	South Dakota State	Jimmy Rogers	23-3	Montana	Frisco, Texas
2022	South Dakota State	John Stiegelmeier	45-21	North Dakota State	Frisco, Texas
2021	North Dakota State	Matt Entz	38-10	Montana State	Frisco, Texas
2020	Sam Houston	K.C. Keeler	23-21	South Dakota State	Frisco, Texas
2019	North Dakota State	Matt Entz	28-20	James Madison	Frisco, Texas
2018	North Dakota State	Chris Klieman	38-24	Eastern Washington	Frisco, Texas
2017	North Dakota State	Chris Klieman	17-13	James Madison	Frisco, Texas
2016	James Madison	Mike Houston	28-14	Youngstown State	Frisco, Texas
2015	North Dakota State	Chris Klieman	37-10	Jacksonville State	Frisco, Texas

Click here for a full list of every champion since 1978.

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Indiana

Dick Vitale, Charles Barkley team up to broadcast Indiana vs Kentucky

Published

2 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Dick Vitale, Charles Barkley team up to broadcast Indiana vs Kentucky

Basketball icons Dick Vitale and Charles Barkley headline the broadcasting crew for Indiana vs. Kentucky on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Vitale, a longtime ESPN analyst, and Barkley, a Basketball Hall of Famer-turned analyst, are teaming up to call two games this season, with the first coming between a pair of blue bloods in a nonconference matchup. Dave O’Brien will handle play-by-play duties.

Vitale and Barkley will broadcast together for the second time this season during TNT and CBS Sports’ First Four coverage of the men’s NCAA Tournament in March.

Watch Dick Vitale, Charles Barkley call Indiana vs. Kentucky live with Fubo (free trial)

The humorous duo will be appointment viewing for many college basketball fans, as both are known for their larger-their-life personalities. The team-up became possible after TNT lost its broadcasting rights for NBA games, moving TNT’s “Inside the NBA” to ESPN.

Vitale is returning to regular broadcasting in 2025 after battling multiple forms of cancer since 2021. He has called over 1,000 games for ESPN since joining the network in 1979.

Barkley, an 11-time NBA All-Star, averaged 22.1 points and 11.7 rebounds across his 16-year career. He was drafted No. 5 overall out of Auburn in the 1984 NBA Draft.