Southeast
CNN host clashes with Louisiana lawmaker supporting Ten Commandments bill: ‘Don’t make this about me!'
A CNN host locked horns with a Louisiana state representative over a new law requiring the biblical Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms.
Louisiana is the first state to require the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom after Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill into law Wednesday. Under the legislation, H.B. 71, a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in “large, easily readable font” is required in all public classrooms, from kindergartens to state-funded universities.
Louisiana state representative Lauren Ventrella defended the display of the Ten Commandments as a historical document that has served as America’s very moral fiber during a Thursday episode of “CNN News Central,” but host Boris Sanchez was not convinced.
“When you talk about the moral fiber of our country, you realize that this country is an amalgamation of cultures right? And different faiths. And even within Christianity, people don‘t interpret those commandments the same way,” he said.
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Ventrella argued that biblical imagery is part of American life, arguing that the Ten Commandments are displayed in the Supreme Court of the United States and that Moses is depicted on the wall of the House chamber in Congress. “This is part and ingrained in our nation, this is a historical document that’s important in Louisiana, because in Louisiana we believe in faith, family, and freedom, and that is why I voted in favor of this bill.”
“Sure, but you also recognize that the Constitution of this country, its founding document, doesn‘t include the word ‘God’ or ‘Jesus,’ or ‘Christianity’ and that‘s for a reason, because the Founding Fathers founded this country as a secular one, you don‘t see that?”
“Boris! I’d bet you CNN pays you a lot of money!” Ventrella said.
“What does this have to do with the network that I work for or what I’m getting paid? Don’t make this about that, answer the question! Why did the Founding Fathers not include God in the constitution if they wanted this country to be the way that you see it?”
After Ventrella asked to finish her statement, Sanchez demanded, “Answer the question and don’t make this about me!”
“We’ll make it about me!” Ventrella said. “I got a dollar bill in my wallet, ‘In God we trust ’ is written on that dollar. It is not forcing anybody to believe one viewpoint.” She then pivoted back to the bill and argued, “It‘s merely posting a historical reference on the wall for students to read and interpret it if they choose.”
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Ventrella objected to criticism of the bill, arguing that amid America’s ongoing internal strife, displaying the Ten Commandments gives children the option to see some “good principles.” She added, “I don’t understand why this is so preposterous and that litigation is being threatened, it doesn’t scare us in the state of Louisiana, we say bring it on!”
Sanchez went on to ask Ventrella what she would say to parents of students or teachers in classrooms where the Ten Commandments would be displayed who might not share her religious views. Ventrella advised, “Don’t look at it.”
Sanchez followed by asking her how she herself would feel if a text like the Five Pillars of Islam were displayed in such a way, “How would you feel if you walked into a classroom and something you didn‘t believe in was required to be on the wall?”
Ventrella rejected the hypothetical line of questioning, “we’re specifically talking about a limited text on, mind you, a piece of paper that‘s not much bigger than a legal sheet of paper. Some kids might even need a magnifying glass to read all of this. This is not so preposterous, that we‘re somehow sanctioning and forcing religion down people‘s throat. I‘ve heard the comments and it‘s just ridiculous.”
Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
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Southeast
Gunshots at Tuskegee University’s 100th homecoming caught on video; 1 dead, several injured
Gunshots near the campus of Tuskegee University in Alabama were caught on video and posted to social media Sunday morning.
In a video posted to X, people are seen ducking behind a vehicle while gunshots are heard firing in the background.
“Oh my gosh,” one person said.
“Get down, get down,” another said.
A spokesperson for Tuskegee University confirmed to Fox News Digital that a shooting occurred on campus early Sunday morning, “resulting in the death of a non-university individual.”
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“The parents of this individual have been notified. Several others including Tuskegee University students were injured and are receiving treatment at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and Baptist South Hospital in Montgomery,” the statement continued. “Emergency responders, along with campus and local law enforcement, have secured the scene. The Alabama Bureau of Investigations is conducting an active investigation.”
“The university is in the process of completing student accountability and notifying parents,” the spokesperson added. “Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”
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Tuskegee was celebrating its 100th homecoming this weekend, per the university’s website.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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Southeast
Murdered attorney's wife blamed son who found remains in burn pit before suspicions led to her
The wife of a prominent Georgia attorney was found guilty of his murder this week, more than six years after her husband’s body was discovered in a burn pit.
On Monday, Melody Farris was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, concealing the death of another and making a false statement, the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
The mother of four showed no emotion as the verdict was read in Gary Farris’ killing, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
“I’ve seen my mother cry hundreds of times throughout my life, and it appeared to me to be fake,” her son, Scott Farris, told jurors, according to the Tribune Ledger News.
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Prosecutors argued Farris was the only person with a motive and the opportunity to kill her husband, noting she was the beneficiary of his $2 million life insurance policy.
According to the Tribune Ledger, they showed the jury that there had been a trail of blood in the couple’s home that spanned from their kitchen, down a set of stairs to the ground level.
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Farris’ attorneys tried to pin the crime on her son, Scott Farris, who discovered his father’s burned body in a pile of ashes on their 10-acre Purcell Lane property in Alpharetta.
They noted that Farris’ son was the only person in their household who owned .38-caliber ammunition, Fox 5 reported, and questioned how the 130-pound woman could have moved her husband’s 300-pound body onto the burn pile alone.
But the younger Farris denied killing his father or helping to dispose of his body.
Originally, investigators believed Gary Farris had a medical emergency, fell into the fire and died, according to the Tribune Ledger. But a bullet lodged in one of his rib bones launched a homicide investigation.
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The younger Farris testified in court that his mother only showed emotion when police told them that the remains found in the pit were human, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
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Although Farris was married to her husband for more than three decades, prosecutors argued that they had marital issues regarding finances around the time of the killing.
It was also revealed in testimony that Farris had an affair with another man in 2009. The defendant’s daughter, Emily Farris, said her parents’ relationship never fully recovered despite her father’s attempts to reconcile.
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Farris initially told investigators she never had an affair. However, she changed her statement to say she had ended an extramarital relationship with a different man in 2017, People reported.
Farris was removed from joint bank accounts after the affair, the daughter testified, but she still had financial control and influence over family decisions.
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A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for December, according to Fox 5.
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Southeast
Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly announces cancer diagnosis 2 days after winning re-election
Rep. Gerald “Gerry” Connolly, D-Va., announced two days after winning re-election that he has esophageal cancer.
In an “open letter to constituents,” Connolly called the diagnosis he learned about “a few days ago” a “surprise,” adding that aside from “some intermittent abdominal aches and pains,” he had no symptoms.
The politician said he would begin chemotherapy and immunotherapy right away.
“I will attack this the only way I know how – with Irish fight and humor,” he said, adding that he “may be a bit fatigued due to the treatment” while he does his job in his district and on Capitol Hill.
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Connolly is currently serving his eighth term in the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 11th District, according to his online biography. His district is centered in Fairfax County and includes the wealthy suburbs outside the nation’s capital.
The 74-year-old won his ninth House term by defeating Republican Mike Van Meter, a Navy veteran and former FBI agent.
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Connolly has been a fixture in northern Virginia politics for roughly 30 years. He was first elected as a Fairfax County supervisor in 1995. In Congress, he has played a leading role in oversight investigations.
While the Senate is now controlled by Republicans, the House is now tightly divided while the wait continues for more election results.
“Be assured I’m full of hope and am sustained by the love, support, and encouragement of my family, friends, and of all of you,” Connolly said in the letter. “My wonderful staff and I look forward to serving you all in this new term and in the future. It is a privilege to represent and serve each and every one of you. See you on the hustings.”
Fox News’ Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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