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What Jimmy Carter’s genuine belief in humankind can teach us
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While “From a Peanut Farm to the Presidency” often serves as the standard description of Jimmy Carter’s political career, reducing his life to those two hallmarks does a disservice to a legacy seeped deeply in humanity and a sense of genuine compassion.
In his attempt to exemplify one of his favorite biblical passages, Ephesians 4:32, which says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God gave you,” Carter stood as a beacon of honesty and decency in our divided American body politic.
At a time when cynicism, division, mistrust and a greater sense of apathy seem to dominate our national discourse, Carter’s life should remind us of what is possible when we lead with principle, tolerance and a steadfast belief in the power of honest dialogue.
Running for president in the shadow of the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon’s ultimate resignation, Carter’s 1976 campaign revived hope in government and extended to the electorate a belief in unwavering integrity.
WHAT JIMMY CARTER CAN TEACH US ABOUT LIFE AND OUR LEGACY
Carter kept his famous pledge to never lie to the American people, all at the cost of his re-election in 1980. His candor, unique to a city where people play politics and twist the truth, was not a political tactic but an expression of his deeply rooted Christian values.
Many of today’s politicians continue to express these values under the evangelical banner. However, for Carter, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and lieutenant in the Navy’s submarine division, truth was not negotiable. Instead, it was the foundation of leadership that appeared throughout his years in government service.
Carter’s political career started in the Georgia state Senate. That’s where he, a Plains business owner, father and avid churchgoer, rose to national prominence by embracing complexity and navigating change while not losing his sense of self.
JIMMY CARTER PROVIDED A MODEL FOR THE POST-PRESIDENCY
When Carter ran for governor of Georgia, he recognized the profoundly entrenched divisions in his home state. He understood the art of politics – not as a tool for manipulation but a means of bringing people together. He reached across ideological lines to earn the trust of Georgia’s segregationists, not to pander but to create an opportunity for dialogue and, ultimately, transformation.
Once in office, Carter set out to dismantle segregation and champion civil rights, proving that political courage can coexist with pragmatism. This unique bridge-building ability extended well beyond Georgia and defined Carter’s presidency. Whether he was negotiating the Camp David Accords between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin or promoting human rights on the global stage, Carter showed that diplomacy and conversation could achieve what threats and ultimatums could not.
JIMMY CARTER, PIONEER OF THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT
His belief in dialogue was rooted in faith – faith in God, humanity and the moral arc of the universe bending toward justice. This belief in the power of the American people pushed Carter to establish the Department of Education and the Department of Energy.
Carter also uplifted and empowered women in government service. He set the stage for President Bill Clinton, decades later, to elevate Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the U.S Supreme Court and Alexis M. Herman as the first African American U.S. labor secretary, by nominating Ginsburg, then an American Civil Liberties Union attorney, to the U.S. Courts of Appeals and appointing Herman, a former women’s and civil rights leader, as director of the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau.
While stagflation and a months-long hostage crisis cost Carter his chance at re-election, he served as a global humanitarian outside the White House, driven by his unshakeable faith and unwavering belief in what is possible when folks come together.
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Pushed by purpose and undergirded by a belief in equity and justice for all the world’s people, Carter, as a global citizen, helped provide treatment for Guinea worm disease, river blindness, malaria and other ailments. Through his work at the Carter Center, he tirelessly promoted peace, free elections worldwide, and dialogue in Haiti and Cuba.
Earning a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter has taught us all that leadership is not confined to titles and terms but measured by actions and impact.
In today’s polarized political environment, Carter’s life provides a roadmap for healing. He showed us how to lead with humility and grace, engage in conversations even when they are uncomfortable, and prioritize the common good over personal ambition.
At a time when compromise is often viewed as a weakness, Carter’s example reminds us that finding common ground is an act of strength. President Jimmy Carter’s story is ultimately a story of faith – in America, in humanity, and in the idea that we are stronger when we are united.
As we mourn his passing, we must also celebrate his legacy by embracing his values – honesty, integrity and a relentless commitment to justice. We must remember that dialogue is not an admission of defeat but a declaration of hope.
RICHARD FOWLER
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Southeast
Tommy Tuberville on why he's pushing trans athlete ban bill: 'There's been an attack on women'
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is leading the charge for a national ban on trans athletes in college sports.
Tuberville previously told Fox News Digital he will be re-introducing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to Congress after the new House rules package passed last week, which would punish schools financially if they allow trans athletes to compete against girls and women.
For the Republican, who has been a longtime advocate for the bill, certain decisions that have been made over the last four years under the Biden administration are the driving force behind his urgency on this issue.
“It’s just a shame what’s happened here over the last four years. It’s been an attack on gender, it’s been really an attack on women, all women,” Tuberville said during an interview on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me With Dan Dakich.”
“They don’t like women,” he said. “They like everybody to think when they’re born, ‘you’re not a woman, you’re actually a man in women’s clothing.’”
The Biden administration, alongside other Democrats, has taken sweeping actions over the last four years to enable trans athletes in women’s and girls’ sports.
On Jan. 20, 2021, just hours after President Biden assumed office, he issued an executive order on “Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation.”
This order included a section that read, “Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports.”
Biden issued a sweeping rule that clarified that Title IX’s ban on “sex” discrimination in schools covers discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation and “pregnancy or related conditions,” in April. The administration insisted the regulation does not address athletic eligibility. However, multiple experts presented evidence to Fox News Digital in June that it would ultimately put more biological men in women’s sports.
Multiple states filed lawsuits and enacted their own laws to address this issue, and then the Supreme Court then voted 5-4 in August to reject an emergency request by the Biden administration to enforce its sweeping changes in those states.
HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE
Democrats have proposed other federal legislation that would allow for more transgender inclusion in women’s sports. These include the Equality Act, which was proposed in 2019 and has seen revisions that “would force public schools to allow biologically male athletes who identify as transgender on girls’ sports teams.”
In March 2023, Democrats advocated for a transgender bill of rights, proposing a resolution “recognizing that it is the duty of the Federal Government to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights.” The resolution specifically called for federal law to ensure that biological men can “participate in sports on teams and in programs that best align with their gender identity; [and] use school facilities that best align with their gender identity.”
Multiple national scandals erupted as a result of these laws, and other Democratic laws at the state level, in 2024 alone. The issue became one of the strongest attack points by the Trump campaign and other Republicans as they re-took control of the White House and both houses of Congress in November, as many Democrats have withdrawn from their past support for trans-inclusion amid insurmountable backlash. Biden’s department of education was even forced to withdraw a proposed rule that would outlaw states from banning trans inclusion in December.
A national exit poll conducted by the Concerned Women for America legislative action committee found that 70% of moderate voters saw the issue of “Donald Trump’s opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls and women’s sports and of transgender boys and men using girls and women’s bathrooms,” as important to them.
Additionally, 6% said it was the most important issue of all, while 44% said it was “very important.”
Now, Tuberville’s bill will be their first step toward making good on their election-season stance on the issue.
The measure would maintain that Title IX treats gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth” and does not adjust it to apply to gender identity.
The bill would also ban federal funding from going toward athletic programs that allow biological men to participate in women’s and girls’ sports.
The measure is co-sponsored by 23 Republican senators, including Sens. James Risch and Mike Crapo of Idaho, Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Thom Tillis and Ted Budd of North Carolina, Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., James Lankford, R-Okla., Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy of Montana, Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Mike Lee, R-Utah, John Kennedy, R-La., John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb.
New Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has already granted Tuberville’s bill the proper blessing to move forward, and a vote on the measure could come as soon as the end of the week.
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Southeast
Trump chats up Obama while Clintons, Harris, ignore president-elect at Jimmy Carter funeral
President-elect Trump and future first lady Melania Trump paid their respects to former President Jimmy Carter at his funeral in Woodley Park, Washington, D.C., on Thursday, where Trump and one of his most prominent political foes appeared to put politics aside.
Seated at the end of the second row of presidential and vice presidential families, Trump and former President Barack Obama shared several minutes of chatting and chuckling as the rest filed in.
Dressed in a dark suit and more subtle blue tie, versus his trademark red “Trump tie,” Trump filed in a little before 10 a.m. ET.
As he entered his row, former Vice President Al Gore smiled and quickly stood up and was the first to greet him.
CARTER’S DEATH SPURS OUTPOURING OF TRIBUTES FROM STATE LEADERS OF BOTH PARTIES: ‘A SERVANT’S HEART’
Gore, a Tennessee Democrat, did not have a significant other with him at the ceremony. He has been separated from former second lady Tipper Gore since 2010.
Notably absent were former Vice President Dick Cheney and former second lady Lynne Cheney. Trump has notably clashed with his fellow Republican leader, and Cheney notably called him a “coward” during his daughter’s (ex-Rep. Liz Cheney) doomed 2022 re-election bid in Wyoming.
As Trump entered his row, he shared a brief moment with his one-time ally and running mate, former Vice President Mike Pence. The two men’s relationship soured following the Capitol Riot on Jan. 6, 2021, when supporters of Trump threatened to hang the Indiana Republican.
JIMMY CARTER DEAD AT 100
It was unclear what Pence said to Trump, but a rough reading of his lips appeared to say “good to see you.”
Former second lady Karen Pence notably remained seated and did not engage when her husband and Gore stood to greet Trump.
After the Trumps were seated, Obama arrived without his wife Michelle Obama by his side. Obama paused to share a quick jovial comment with former Vice President Dan Quayle.
Quayle — the first of the two Indiana Republican vice presidents of this generation — was seated on the aisle with former second lady Marilyn Quayle, who also sat next to Gore.
Soon after, former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush arrived.
Bush appeared to receive the largest greeting of the living presidents assembled.
The Pences, Gore and the Quayles reached over to greet Bush. Meanwhile, Obama and Trump could be seen continuing their conversation unimpeded.
When former President Bill Clinton and 2016 presidential runner-up Hillary Clinton arrived, Trump and Obama largely ignored them as they chatted.
Former President Bush appeared to be the first to stand up when Hillary Clinton took her seat. Former President Clinton, who was recently hospitalized, appeared lively and healthy at the funeral.
Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff arrived next.
Trump did not visibly acknowledge Harris, nor Harris to him.
Emhoff looked straight ahead as Harris briefly looked over her shoulder and appeared to grimace when she saw Obama conversing with Trump.
Emhoff and Harris shared a brief smile before focusing on the somber event once more, as the Clintons could be seen reading through their programs.
When President Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived, Trump and Obama did not appear to greet them, as Trump soon began chatting with Melania.
Jill Biden sat first, taking President Biden’s program off of his chair so he, too, could sit.
President Biden appeared to wipe a mark from his pant leg and lightly brushed his brow before looking straight ahead. None of the other families appeared to greet the Bidens.
Screenshots posted to X also showed outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau watching Trump as the president-elect filed in.
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Southeast
Federal judge strikes down Biden admin's Title IX rewrite
A federal judge in Kentucky blocked the Biden administration’s attempt to redefine sex in Title IX as “gender identity,” striking down the change nationwide.
The U.S. District Court Eastern District of Kentucky Northern Division made the ruling in Cardona v. Tennessee on Thursday.
“Another massive win for TN and the country!” Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a post on X. “This morning, a federal court ruled in our favor and vacated the Biden admin’s radical new Title IX rule nationwide.
“The court’s order is resounding victory for the protection of girls’ privacy in locker rooms and showers, and for the freedom to speak biologically-accurate pronouns.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., released a statement on the ruling.
“It is clear the Biden-Harris administration completely lost its way on Title IX. They betrayed the original intent of Title IX by removing longstanding protections that ensured fairness for women and girls. Good to see this harmful regulation overturned,” he said. “With President Trump and a Republican majority in Congress, we will ensure women and girls have every opportunity to succeed on the field and in the classroom.”
The ruling came months after the Supreme Court rejected the Biden administration’s emergency request to enforce portions of a new rule that would have included protections from discrimination for transgender students under Title IX.
TOMMY TUBERVILLE ON WHY HE’S PUSHING TRANS ATHLETE BAN BILL: ‘THERE’S BEEN AN ATTACK ON WOMEN’
The sweeping rule was issued in April and clarified that Title IX’s ban on “sex” discrimination in schools covers discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation and “pregnancy or related conditions.”
The rule took effect Aug. 1, and, for the first time, the law stated that discrimination based on sex includes conduct related to a person’s gender identity.
It led to more than two dozen attorneys general suing over the rule, arguing it would conflict with some of their state laws that block transgender students from participating in women’s sports.
“When Title IX is viewed in its entirety, it is abundantly clear that discrimination on the basis of sex means discrimination on the basis of being a male or female,” the court’s opinion read. “As this Court and others have explained, expanding the meaning of ‘on the basis of sex’ to include ‘gender identity’ turns Title IX on its head.
“While Title IX sought to level the playing field between men and women, it is rife with exceptions that allow males and females to be separated based on the enduring physical differences between the sexes.”
Kristen Waggoner, president, CEO and general Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement the ruling was a “colossal win for women and girls” in the U.S.
“The Biden administration’s radical attempt to redefine sex not only tossed fairness, safety, and privacy for female students out the window, it also threatened free speech and parental rights,” she added. “With this ruling, the federal court in Kentucky rejected the entire Biden rule and the administration’s illegal actions. We are thankful for the leadership of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and other state attorneys general who challenged this blatant overreach alongside our courageous clients.
“This ruling provides enormous relief for students across the country, including our client who has already suffered harassment by a male student in the locker room and on her sports team. The U.S. Supreme Court can further protect girls like our client by granting cases brought by the ACLU against West Virginia and Idaho laws that protect women’s sports.”
The decision came as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is set to push the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to the Senate Floor.
A procedural vote on it will happen on Friday.
Fox News’ Julia Johnson and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
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