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Satanic group defies Kansas officials, plans 'black mass' at state Capitol

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Satanic group defies Kansas officials, plans 'black mass' at state Capitol

A group of self-described Satanists plans to stage a “black mass” inside the Kansas State Capitol, despite recent attempts by the governor and a group of bipartisan lawmakers to block it. 

The Satanic Grotto, a registered nonprofit that describes itself as an “independent and non-denominational Satanic church,” intends to hold its demonstration at the state Capitol on March 28. According to founder Michael Stewart, the event initially drew little attention, until allegations surfaced that he stole consecrated bread from a local Catholic church for use in the “black mass” ceremony.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, issued an order on March 12 barring The Satanic Grotto from entering the State House for its planned March 28 demonstration. That order was subsequently followed up by a modification of the State House’s building and grounds policies, led by a group of bipartisan state legislators.

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“There are more constructive ways to protest and express disagreements without insulting or denigrating sacred religious symbols,” Kelly said in an announcement about The Satanic Grotto’s “black mass” event. 

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In Satanist traditions, a “black mass” ceremony sometimes involves the desecration of the consecrated Eucharist, as was recounted online by Monsignor Roger J. Landry, a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, in 2014. Landry pointed out that, at the time, the New York Satanic Temple’s website described the black mass as a “perversion of the Catholic Mass” and posited that a consecrated host gets “corrupted by sexual fluids” during the ritual. 

Michael Stewart and The Satanic Grotto intend to move forward with their planned “black mass” demonstration at the Kansas State Capitol despite efforts from public officials to squash the event. (GETTY | Satanic Grotto)

A lawsuit brought by the bishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Joseph Naumann, alleged Stewart admitted on social media to stealing the consecrated Eucharist. The lawsuit also alleged members of The Satanic Grotto sent threatening letters to lawmakers. 

“The First Amendment does not protect criminal conduct,” Senate President Ty Masterson told the Kansas Reflector this week. “Recent statements from an organization – which pledged to engage in such conduct – necessitated a thoughtful review of policies to ensure the safety of all those visiting our State Capitol.” 

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Stewart, in an interview with Fox News Digital, did not deny the accusations that he was the owner of a social media account that admitted to taking the host. Stewart said that while he and his group may have sent rude letters to lawmakers in the past, none of them were threatening. An evidentiary hearing in the case took place Thursday, and it was ultimately dismissed after Stewart denied the allegations, he said.

Michael Stewart, founder of the Kansas-based group “The Satanic Grotto” (Michael Stewart/The Satanic Grotto)

Stewart promised to proceed with his demonstration at the Capitol on March 28, despite orders attempting to block it, even if it leads to his arrest. He expects to be joined by two or three other members of The Satanic Grotto but has urged unaffiliated supporters looking to confront public officials or law enforcement to stay back.

“It’s come up a lot lately that we’re going to storm the Capitol. And because [critics] see that one of our specific laws of the grotto speaks to violence, that we’re a violent organization. Neither one of those things are true,” Stewart said. “We’re going to the Capitol non-violently. This is not going to be January 6th. This is going to be a 1960s civil rights act. We’re not going to be literally slinging fecal matter on the walls.”

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The Kansas State Capitol is in central Topeka and is surrounded by over 20 acres of park-like grounds. (Don and Melinda Crawford/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Stewart said that the idea of the “black mass” demonstration in Topeka stemmed from the group wanting “to build a church that matches how Kansans define Satanism.”

“Part of that is activism,” Stewart said. “We started following different groups and counterprotests, and inevitably they all ended up at the Capitol, one way or another.” 

However, Stewart noted, the groups making use of their First Amendment rights by protesting at the Capitol were mostly all Christian groups “holding pictures of mutilated babies inside of our Capitol, holding prayers, holding praise and worship sessions, very openly, very boldly, consistently.”

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“I’ve rarely, if ever, seen anybody else do anything. And it just occurred to me, I was like, ‘Man, these guys are the only ones taking advantage of their rights.’”

Kelly’s office declined to comment on the situation when reached for comment, pointing Fox News Digital to a March 12 statement about the event. 

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Detroit, MI

Vigil, protest held for Renee Nicole Good at Detroit’s Clark park

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Vigil, protest held for Renee Nicole Good at Detroit’s Clark park


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The name Renee Nicole Good bounced off the buildings of southwest Detroit as hundreds marched on the evening of Friday, Jan. 9, following Good’s fatal shooting by an immigration agent in Minneapolis earlier in the week. 

A candlelight vigil was held at 6 p.m. at the city’s Clark Park in memory of Good, before attendees took off marching down Vernor Highway. 

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As of 7:30 p.m., the mass crowd had reached Cavalry Street, about half a mile away from the park, and turned, yelling “What do we want? Justice ” and calling for ICE’s ousting from communities.

Good, 37, was in her car when she was shot in the head on Wednesday, Jan.7, by a federal immigration officer in south Minneapolis. She leaves behind three children, ages 6, 12 and 15.

The shooting was recorded by witnesses and heightened political and community tensions over federal immigration enforcement as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide immigration operations. The Trump administration has since said the shooting was done in self-defense, USA TODAY reports.

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Protests have occurred in cities across the U.S. since Good’s death, including gatherings in Michigan, and additional demonstrations are scheduled throughout the weekend.

This is a developing story.



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Milwaukee, WI

Chief marketing and communication officer named to Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40  | Marquette Today

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Chief marketing and communication officer named to Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40  | Marquette Today


Lynn Griffith, chief marketing and communication officer, was named to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. 

Griffith leads Marquette’s Office of Marketing and Communication, a team of 30 talented professionals who work to elevate and differentiate the Marquette brand via strategy and planning; brand management; media relations; internal communication; presidential communication; social media; issues and crisis management; advertising, digital and creative services; video; and editorial content, including the university’s flagship alumni publication, Marquette Magazine.  

Under Griffith’s leadership, Marquette’s marketing and communication team has been recognized for excellence, winning multiple National Collegiate Advertising awards, Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter Paragon Awards. In 2024, the university’s digital storytelling strategy was named a Ragan’s PR Daily award finalist. Marquette is ranked a top 55 most trusted higher education brand in the U.S. by Morning Consult and its social media is No. 5 in the country for higher education social media engagement by RivalIQ.  

During her nine years at Marquette, Griffith has been tapped for multiple university initiatives, including co-chairing the university’s Crisis Management Team, co-leading the university’s Convention Steering Committee ahead of Milwaukee hosting the Republican National Convention in 2024, and serving on Mission Priority Examen and presidential inauguration planning committees. 

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An engaged member of the Milwaukee community, Griffith serves on the board of directors of Menomonee Valley Partners and on the marketing committee of VISIT Milwaukee. She is a member of TEMPO Milwaukee and the Arthur W. Page Society, as well as the Marquette Mentors leadership council, on which she also serves as a mentor. She recently completed the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ 18-month Ignatian Colleagues Program for lay leaders.  

Griffith is a two-time graduate of Marquette, earning a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and writing intensive English and a Master of Business Administration. 

40 Under 40 honorees were selected based on the impact they have had in their jobs, in the community and on Southeast Wisconsin overall. The Milwaukee Business Journal reviewed hundreds of nominations to curate its 34th 40 Under 40 cohort. 

In addition to Griffith, seven alumni were named to the list: 

  • David Griggs, co-founder of One 5 Olive LLC 
  • Jordan Komp, senior principal and Milwaukee office director at Thornton Tomasetti Inc. 
  • Avery Mayne, attorney at von Briesen & Roper, s.c. 
  • Brian McClaren, principal of H. Knox Development Company 
  • Emily Tau, director of public affairs for Milwaukee County 
  • Jessica Shepherd, director of financial planning and analysis at Baird 
  • Mike Wanezek, partner at Colliers | Wisconsin 

The 40 Under 40 honorees will be celebrated in a forthcoming special edition of the Milwaukee Business Journal and at an awards presentation on Wednesday, March 11, at the Baird Center. 



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Minneapolis, MN

Prosecutors in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will not investigate Minneapolis ICE shooting, sources say

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Prosecutors in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will not investigate Minneapolis ICE shooting, sources say


Prosecutors in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division were told they will not play a role in the ongoing investigation into a fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Leadership in the Civil Rights Division, overseen by Harmeet Dhillon, informed staff in the division’s criminal section that there would not be an investigation, two sources said. Normally, after a high-profile incident involving a fatal shooting by an officer, attorneys from the criminal section fly out to the scene. Multiple career prosecutors offered to do so in this case, but they were told not to do so, one of the sources added. 

While investigations into the excessive use of force can be pursued solely by a U.S. Attorney’s office without direct involvement from the Civil Rights Division, it is customary for the division’s federal prosecutors to take the lead on high-profile investigations like the one in Minnesota.

The decision also raises questions about how far the FBI’s investigation into the shooting will go. 

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A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. 

On Thursday, the Justice Department announced that the FBI was leading the investigation into the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

Video footage shows the officer, identified in court records from a prior incident as Jonathan Ross, fired three rounds at the car as Good started to drive away.

The video also appeared to depict the officers did not take immediate steps to ensure that Good received emergency medical care after the shooting took place. A separate video from the scene showed officers stopping a man who claimed to be a doctor from moving toward Good. 

The killing has sparked protests nationwide, including in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Detroit.

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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has argued that Ross was acting in self-defense, and claimed that Good was trying to use her car as a weapon in an act of “domestic terrorism.”

That description sparked immediate backlash from state and city officials, with the mayor of Minneapolis labeling the self-defense claims as “bulls***.”

On Friday, Trump administration officials shared another cellphone video of the incident that sources say was recorded by the ICE officer. The White House argues this video shows Ross was hit by Good’s car.

The Justice Department has stopped short of claiming Ross was acting in self-defense. 

But in a statement to CBS News this week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the use of deadly force by law enforcement officials can sometimes be justified.

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“Federal agents risk their lives each day to safeguard our communities. They must make decisions, under dynamic and chaotic circumstances, in less time than it took to read this sentence,” Blanche said.

“The law does not require police to gamble with their lives in the face of a serious threat of harm. Rather, they may use deadly force when they face an immediate threat of significant physical harm,” he added.

The criminal section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division specializes in investigating and prosecuting constitutional violations by law enforcement officers. 

Some of the most common investigations involve excessive use of force, but can also include other things such as sexual misconduct, false arrests or deliberate indifference to serious medical needs.

One of the most famous civil rights prosecutions by the section in recent years took place in Minneapolis, after former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in May 2020.

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Chauvin pleaded guilty to willfully depriving, while acting under color of law, Floyd’s constitutional rights, as well as the rights of a 14-year-old boy.

Since President Trump took office last year, the Civil Rights Division has scaled back its work on excessive force prosecutions, according to legal experts. 

Last year, it sought to downplay the conviction of a former Louisville police officer who was convicted of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights and asked a federal judge to sentence him to serve just one day in prison.

The judge ultimately sentenced him to serve 33 months.

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