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Christian leaders urge the protection of worshippers’ rights after protesters interrupt service

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Christian leaders urge the protection of worshippers’ rights after protesters interrupt service

Several faith leaders called urgently for protecting the rights of worshippers while also expressing compassion for migrants after anti-immigration enforcement protesters disrupted a service at a Southern Baptist church in Minnesota.

About three dozen protesters entered the church during Sunday service at the Cities Church in St. Paul, some walking right up to the pulpit, others loudly chanting “ICE out” and “Renee Good,” referring to a woman who was fatally shot on Jan. 7 by an ICE agent in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement operation.

One of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, leads the local field office for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One of the leaders of the protest and prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong said she’s also an ordained reverend.

In a statement, the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention called what happened “an unacceptable trauma.”

“I believe we must be resolute in two areas: encouraging our churches to provide compassionate pastoral care to these (migrant) families and standing firm for the sanctity of our houses of worship,” Trey Turner, who leads the convention, wrote to The Associated Press on Monday. Cities Church belongs to the convention.

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“The interference was so significant that services were forced to end prematurely. Video footage captured by the protesters themselves and others show them shouting insults and accusations at youth, children, and families,” the statement said.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Sunday it has opened a civil rights investigation.

The recent surge in operations in Minnesota has pitted more than 2,000 federal immigration officers against a mobilized network of community activists and protesters. The Trump Administration and Minnesota officials have traded blame for the heightened tensions.

“No cause — political or otherwise — justifies the desecration of a sacred space or the intimidation and trauma inflicted on families gathered peacefully in the house of God,” Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, said in a statement. “What occurred was not protest; it was lawless harassment.”

Ezell said his organization fully supports Jonathan Parnell, the pastor who was leading the disrupted service. Parnell is a missionary with Ezell’s group and serves dozens of Southern Baptist churches in the area. Cities Church did not return the AP’s requests for comment.

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U.S. Christians divided on immigration enforcement

Christian voters and faith leaders in the United States are divided on the moral and legal dilemmas raised by immigration, including the presence of an estimated 11 million people who are in the country illegally and the spike in illegal border crossings and asylum requests during the Biden Administration.

There are divergent opinions among and within Christian denominations on whether the imperative is to care for the stranger and the neighbor or to obey laws and emphasize security. Broadly, white evangelical churches have supported stronger enforcement, while the Catholic hierarchy has spoken strongly in favor of migrant rights.

The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. and has a conservative evangelical theology.

Miles Mullin, who leads the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, said faith leaders can and often have led protests on social issues but that he urges a firm “red line” on actions keeping others from worshipping.

“This is something that just shouldn’t happen in America,” Mullin said. “For Baptists, our worship services are sacred.”

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Federal protections for houses of worship

Many faith leaders were dismayed when the Trump administration announced last January that federal immigration agencies could make arrests at churches, schools and hospitals, ending broader policies that protected sensitive spaces.

While no immigration raids during church services have been reported, some churches, including in the Twin Cities, have posted notices on their doors saying no ICE or Border Patrol agents are allowed inside. Others have reported a drop in attendance, particularly during enforcement surges.

Following the protest in Cities Church, Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, posted on social media that there “is zero tolerance for this kind of illegal behavior & we will not stand for it.”

Dhillon posted on X that her office was investigating “potential violations of the federal FACE Act,” calling the incident “un-American and outrageous.”

The federal 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act prohibits interference or intimidation of “any person by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.”

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the protest despicable, warning in a social media post that “President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship.”

Several pastors commented on the need to better security at churches in today’s volatile political environment.

The Rev. Joe Rigney, who was one of the founding pastors at Cities Church in 2015 and served there until 2023, said safety would have been his first concern had a group disrupted service, especially after the fatal shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school Mass last summer.

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Associated Press journalist Holly Meyer in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm sues his parents, accuses them of misusing his money

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Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm sues his parents, accuses them of misusing his money

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm has sued his parents for millions of dollars, accusing them of siphoning large amounts of his money into financial accounts they managed for him and then using some of the cash to pay their own expenses.

Bohm’s lawsuit, filed Wednesday in a Philadelphia court, comes after he began to review his personal and financial affairs in recent months, and said that his parents refused to give him access to the accounts or provide him with the information he sought about them.

They sought to “freeze” him out of four accounts — established as limited liability companies — and he now believes they “converted a sizeable amount” of his money from those accounts “to their own use,” the lawsuit said.

By the time he sought the information, his parents had already transferred millions of dollars from his personal accounts to the accounts they controlled, the lawsuit said.

Bohm’s parents, Daniel and Lisa Bohm, denied doing anything wrong and, through their lawyer, said they are “deeply saddened by the allegations” and will aggressively defend themselves. Alec Bohm has had full access to the accounts and his parents are paying his expenses on their personal credit cards, their lawyer, Robert Eckard, said in a statement.

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Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws during the first inning in Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Seattle Mariners, Oct. 10, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

“Mr. and Mrs. Bohm love their son very much and have always acted in his best interests, both personally and professionally, and still do so to this day,” Eckard said.

After Thursday’s 2026 season opening game, Bohm declined comment to reporters, saying “I’m not going to address any personal matters right now.”

Both parties say the first of the accounts was opened in 2019. His parents told him that they assigned themselves a 10% stake, strictly for administration purposes, and that Bohm was the “true” owner of all of the LLC’s assets, Bohm’s lawsuit said.

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The accounts had various purposes, such as investing in securities or buying real estate. Bohm’s lawsuit also said they used money from The Alec Bohm Foundation to pay their expenses.

Bohm’s lawsuit asks his parents to pay at least $3 million in damages, hand over control of the accounts and hire an accountant to track every dollar they transferred from Bohm’s personal accounts to the accounts they controlled.

Bohm, 29, has a $10.2 million contract with the Phillies for the 2026 baseball season. The lawsuit said his parents live in a recreational vehicle and travel the country.

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Rubio meets G7 ministers in France as US leads on Iran — allies under fire for tepid response

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Rubio meets G7 ministers in France as US leads on Iran — allies under fire for tepid response

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in France on Friday to attend the G7 foreign ministers meeting where he will deliver a clear message on U.S. priorities for the ongoing war with Iran.

In the days leading up to the meeting, other members have taken markedly different approaches to the war. Nearly all of Washington’s partners — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan — have reacted cautiously to the U.S.-Israeli military campaign and declined to participate in offensive operations, even as they condemn Iranian actions.

Before departing on Thursday, Rubio signaled a defiant approach to the talks: “I don’t work for France or Germany or Japan… the people I’m interested in making happy are the people of the United States. I work for them,” he said in a video posted on X.

The divergence has drawn frustration from President Donald Trump, who has pressed allies to contribute more, particularly in securing key maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. While some countries have signaled a willingness to support defensive or maritime security efforts, they have stopped short of joining direct military strikes.

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TRUMP PRESSES NATO PARTNERS ON SUPPORT AS HEGSETH BLASTS HESITATION

“The U.S. is constantly asked to help in wars and we have. But when we had a need, it didn’t get positive responses from NATO. A couple leaders said that Iran was not Europe’s war. Well, Ukraine isn’t our war, yet we’ve contributed more to that fight than anyone,” Rubio added.

“The Strait of Hormuz could be open tomorrow if Iran stops threatening global shipping, which is an outrage and a violation of international law. For all these countries that care about international law, they should be doing something about it,” he said before boarding his plane to France.

The remarks set the tone for a summit already marked by growing friction between Washington and some of its closest allies over how to handle the Iran conflict. Rubio has framed the stakes in stark terms. “Iran has been at war with the United States for 47 years… Iran has been killing Americans and attacking Americans across this planet,” he said during a White House cabinet meeting, adding that allowing Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons would be “an unacceptable risk for the world.”

But even before Rubio arrived at the meeting, European officials were signaling a markedly different approach.

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“We need to exit from the war, not escalate this further, because the consequences for everybody around the world are quite severe,” Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas said during a briefing on the sidelines of the G7 on Thursday.

JACK KEANE CALLS OUT NATO’S WEAKNESS AS SHIPPING CRISIS GRIPS STRAIT OF HORMUZ

(L/R, clockwise) French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni meet during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 17, 2025 (LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)

“It can only be a diplomatic solution… sit down and negotiate to have a way out,” she added.

The contrast between Rubio’s framing and Kallas’s message captures the core tension shaping the meeting.

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U.S. officials say Rubio is heading into the talks with a broader agenda that goes beyond Iran.

According to a State Department spokesperson, who spoke to Fox News Digital on background, Rubio will use the meeting to “advance key U.S. interests” and push discussions on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as “international burden sharing” and the overall effectiveness of the G7.

The U.S. is also expected to emphasize maritime security, including freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, while urging allies to take on a greater share of responsibilities in conflict zones and international organizations, the spokesperson said.

RUBIO, RATCLIFFE TO DELIVER CLASSIFIED IRAN BRIEFING TO ‘GANG OF EIGHT’ AHEAD OF TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters before boarding a plane as he is headed to France where he will take part in the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., March 26, 2026.  (Brendan Smialowski/Pool via Reuters)

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European officials have instead emphasized the broader risks of the conflict.

France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, said discussions at the G7 would build on a recent joint statement condemning Iran’s actions while also addressing maritime security concerns.

He said the “discussions will provide an opportunity to revisit positions already agreed at the G7 level… including the unjustifiable attacks carried out by Iran against Gulf countries… which we condemned in the strongest possible terms.”

Barrot added that ministers would also focus on securing global shipping routes.

A satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, vital for global energy supply. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)

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“We will also have the opportunity to address maritime security and freedom of navigation… including an international mission… to ensure the smooth flow of maritime traffic in a strictly defensive posture, thereby helping to ease pressure on energy prices,” he said.

Kallas echoed that global framing. “All the countries in the world are one way or another affected by this war… it is in the interest of everybody that this war stops,” she said.

IRAN SIGNALS NUCLEAR PROGRESS IN GENEVA AS TRUMP CALLS FOR FULL DISMANTLEMENT

Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy speaks to the press during EU Summit in Brussels, Belgium on Dec. 19, 2024.  (Photo by Nicolas Landemard/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Her remarks also pointed to the interconnected nature of the crisis. “Russia is helping Iran with intelligence… and also supporting Iran now with drones,” she said, linking the Iran conflict to the war in Ukraine.

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That uncertainty is already affecting the structure of the summit, with officials dropping plans for a unified final communiqué to avoid exposing divisions, Reuters reported.

Analysts say those differences reflect deeper structural tensions in the alliance. “Europe has criticized Donald Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ strategy towards Iran while pursuing a failed diplomatic approach that has enabled the regime to expand its terrorist networks and edge closer to nuclear threshold status,” Barak Seener, senior research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.

“This reflects a lack of European capability to project power in the region, particularly in safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz.”

FILE PHOTO: Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo)

Seener added that years of reliance on Washington have left Europe increasingly exposed as the U.S. shifts its strategic priorities. “Years of underinvestment in defense and reliance on the United States have created a dependency that Washington increasingly views as a betrayal of the peace it has guaranteed Europe since the Second World War,” he said.

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“With the U.S. placing greater value on its relationship with Israel than NATO, the result may be further erosion of the alliance, reduced support for Ukraine and rising economic pressure on Europe.”

He warned that the immediate test will come at the G7 itself. “Divisions over how to respond to Iran and to any U.S. request for support are likely to expose a deeper transatlantic split,” Seener said.

“Operation Epic Fury has showcased President Trump’s ability to assemble a coalition of allies to eliminate a common threat — in this case the Iranian regime — and stabilize international trade,” Jacob Olidort, chief research officer and director of American security at the America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital.

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A satellite view shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, on Oct. 2, 2024. (Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data via Getty Images)

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“The failure of Western Europe to participate in securing the Strait of Hormuz is particularly egregious because those countries depend on it more than we do,” he added.

“At the same time, the historic successes of Operation Epic Fury have awakened a new confidence in our Middle East partners to eradicate the threats from the Iranian regime and to work together to shape a more peaceful and prosperous region.”

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Rubio joins crucial G7 talks as Iran war set to dominate second day

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Rubio joins crucial G7 talks as Iran war set to dominate second day

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On today’s show:

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Top story: G7 Summit debrief with Méabh Mc Mahon and Maia de la Baume.

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Explainer by Jakub Janas: What’s the point of the G7 meeting?

Iran war update with Méabh Mc Mahon and Babak Kamiar.

Interview with Ghassan Salamé, Lebanese Culture Minister.

Interview with Valérie Hayer, Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe, France).

When and where to watch Europe Today?

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