Latest news with #Beckwith
Indianapolis Star
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Micah Beckwith's Christian nationalism is wrong for Indiana
I had the privilege of spending an hour and a half in a room with Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, along with a couple dozen other Christian pastors. He is charming and, as far as I can tell, sincere. He is also dead wrong for Indiana. Beckwith's Christian nationalist theology is being used as an excuse to rob the people of a safety net. When I brought the safety net problem up to Beckwith, he painted a portrait of a future Indiana where the people are all well-fed and happy, because everyone who has means pitches in, generously donating to charity. This is not based in reality — even church people only give 3-4% of their income, on average. While we're at it, why not insist that churches fund and administer Medicaid, the Indiana Veterans' Home and the Department of Child Services? Perhaps youth groups could be in charge of highway repairs during the summer months? Briggs: Micah Beckwith and his Indiana DOGE bros are livin' large Also, have you noticed that not everyone goes to church? Whether Beckwith realizes it or not, he and his fellow Christian nationalists are setting up laws and preaching rhetoric that divides our middle class, ultimately setting up a two-tiered economy where White Christians of a certain variety are preferred over other citizens. In education, government and in courts of law, a so-called Christian Indiana will no longer be a place of liberty and justice for all. Let me offer an alternative. I am a Red Letter Christian, which means I start with the teachings of Jesus — sometimes printed in red — and go from there. The real litmus test of any administration's policy is the question, 'What Would Jesus Do?' Jesus began his ministry in a radical way, by proclaiming that he 'came to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and to let the oppressed go free' (Luke 4:18). This is God's economics, and what is truly right for our great state.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Indiana Lt. Gov. Is Terrified Of Pride Month: 'The Rainbow Beast Is Coming For Your Kids!'
Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith expressed his terror over upcoming Pride Month, a month dedicated to recognizing the LGBTQ+ community, in a frantic social media post Friday. 'PRIDE MONTH ALERT: The Rainbow Beast Is Coming For Your Kids!' the post from Beckwith said. 'WARNING: Corporate America and government institutions are launching their annual siege on childhood innocence—and this year's Pride Month agenda is more aggressive than ever.' Pride Month, which goes from June 1 to June 30, celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and the progress they've made in gaining more rights and combating discrimination. But for the conspiratorial Beckwith, Pride Month is a way to 'reprogram society' into being more compassionate, which is apparently bad. 'This isn't about 'tolerance,'' his post said. 'It's a state-corporate-pagan alliance to reprogram society. They've swapped biology for 'identity constructs,' swapped scripture for Harvey Milk sermons, and swapped parental rights for government-sanctioned grooming.' Beckwith ended his post with a link to a self-described 'Christian Independent Press' website that references the 'rainbow beast' in a post with an anonymous byline. On his biography page, Beckwith said he is a pastor who 'stepped up' after seeing the 'woke agenda threatening our schools.' Beckwith also came under fire last month for comments he made about the Three-Fifths Compromise, calling the 18th century law that counted an enslaved person as 60% of a free person 'a great move.' 'I would like to share with you, the Three-Fifths Compromise is not a pro-discrimination compromise,' he said in a video about the pro-discrimination compromise. 'It was not a pro-discrimination or a slave-driving compromise that the founders made. It was actually just the opposite.' Republican Gov. Mike Braun gave a mealy-mouthed response to Beckwith's slavery comments. 'I'm a believer that you better start thinking about what you're saying before it comes out,' Braun said. 'So, I'll leave it at that.' On Tuesday, demonstrators with Indivisible Central Indiana showed up to Beckwith's town hall to make their displeasure known. The group refers to itself as an 'inclusive, progressive ACTIVIST grassroots organization.' The protest was meant to 'raise public awareness about Beckwith's dangerous ideology and his efforts to dismantle democratic norms under the guise of religious extremism,' the group said in a statement. Braun's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Beckwith's latest comments.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fairfield man indicted for failing to pay over $2 million in employment taxes
( — A federal jury returned a 41-count indictment against Warren Soto Delfin, 54, of Fairfield, charging him with failure to pay more than $2 million in trust fund taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, according to U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. Beckwith stated that, according to court documents, between January 2018 and December 2022, Felfin owned and operated five home health care businesses that made over $2 million in employment taxes. The tax liabilities stem from amounts Delfin withheld from his employer's paychecks. Folsom PD investigates two unrelated fatal crashes within 9-hours Instead of Delfin paying the employees' withholdings to the IRS as required under the law, he retained them and used the money to purchase luxury items, including a Lamborghini, jewelry, and real estate, according to Beckwith. According to officials, if Delfin is convicted, he will face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,00 fine for each charged count, and any other sentence would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. 'The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,' officials said. Authorities stated that this case is being handed over to the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Otago Daily Times
28-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Exhibition hoped to foster connection
In a first for the Hocken Collections a waka has been installed in its foyer as part of the exhibition ''Ruruku: An exhibition by Hauteruruku ki Puketeraki waka club'', Rebecca Fox writes. ''She just glides so beautifully.'' Having been lucky enough to take part in Kuramātakitaki 's dawn maiden voyage, Jacinta Beckwith (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu) can attest to the waka's movement on water. However, that first sail out into the open water was not without some apprehension for the crew from Hauteruruku ki Puketeraki waka club who had spent two years creating the tradition-inspired vessel from scratch. ''We were all nervous that she would float. And she did. And she just really holds herself really well. It's a really amazing experience.'' Beckwith first became involved in the Karitane community through the Ki Uta ki Tai native plant restoration project with Puketeraki marae back in 2018. On one stay on the marae, she had the opportunity to go out on a waka with the club. ''That community vibe is very [much a] part of their kaupapa, inviting everyone in to join in and experience what it is like being out on the water.'' Beckwith loved the experience so much she has been involved with the club ever since. She has crewed on other waka such as the double-hull waka hourua Hinemoana , from the national waka festival, Te Hau Komaru, at Kaiteretere, to Whakaraupō (Lyttelton) in April last year. ''It was like nothing I had experienced before, just joyous being out on the water and very restorative. It made me think a lot about our ancestors when they came here on their waka. Seeing the stars and seeing the land from the perspective of being out on the water was just amazing.'' So when she became the head curator Māori at Hocken Collections in 2023 and was invited to produce an exhibition her first thought was of Hauteruruku ki Puketeraki and creating a community-led exhibition. She took the idea to the club, which had previous experience installing a smaller waka Hauteruruku in the University of Otago's central library many years ago. ''It really drew people in.'' So despite the space being smaller at the Hocken, the club were keen to do it again and the work began. What has become known as the Ruruku project received funding through the Coastal People: Southern Skies, National Centre of Research Excellence. The club decided to construct an 8m, double-hulled waka joined by two 3m-wide kiatō (thwarts) with a 8m mast using a strip-plank timber traditional design which is lighter than a dug-out hull and also makes more efficient use of natural materials. Western red cedar, known as the tree of life, was selected for use in the hulls as it connects the waka to Pacific Rim North America. Other woods such as Atlantic cedar, Canadian oregon, native beech, Fijian and native kauri, rimu, Pacific hardwood meranti and Australian hardwood were used as well. The materials were all cut, joined, carved, sanded and sealed using contemporary methods by volunteers from the community and the club over many weekend workshops. ''We've all shared skills, or for me, learnt lots of skills, like fiberglassing, there's been a lot of sanding.'' It is designed for coastal voyaging and can be paddled or sailed or both. On May 19 the finished waka was sailed down Otago Harbour and then taken on a trailer to its temporary home in the Hocken foyer as the centrepiece of the exhibition ''Ruruku: An exhibition by Hauteruruku ki Puketeraki waka club''. ''The great thing about the waka is people are able to touch it. So this is like a living exhibition. People can touch the waka. People can get on the waka, two at a time, take photos with the waka. So it's different from the idea of not being able to touch artwork.'' To continue the living theme, there will be a group of weavers making a sail from harakeke (flax), inspired by the traditional waka sail ''Te Ra'' returned to New Zealand in 2023 on loan after being in the collection of the British Museum for 200 years. Hauteruruku ki Puketeraki co-founder Suzi Flack says Te Rā Ringa Raupa has been teaching experienced weavers of Whiria Ka Aho ki Puketeraki how to weave their own sail using traditional fibres and materials, relearning a lost practice. These weavers will then be able to teach others so this mātauraka (knowledge) is not lost again. ''The materials, harakeke, kiekie, feathers and techniques, learning a new pattern, using the right cultivars, making muka for the ropes - it's important to share so these new skills aren't lost again. ''Like building a waka, weaving a sail is a journey. We laugh when we thought weaving whaariki [sleeping mat] was a big job, and it was, but this is even bigger.'' But the waka is just the start of the exhibition. In the Hocken's gallery visitors can view objects of personal and cultural significance from the club and marae which tells the story of the waka and the club. ''We have photographs from the waka build days and photos from the launch. She launched it in February this year. And then photos from the club, from the building of the first hull of the first waka in 2010.'' The first waka built by the club was Hauteruruku , followed by Hiwa-i-te-rangi , and then Kuramātakitaki . But the club's activities also include using waka unua, waka ama, stand-up paddle boards and a Happy Cat sailboat brought to life by Ewan Duff. Beckwith says they have built relationships with different voyaging societies so the exhibition celebrates those waka connections, both throughout New Zealand and overseas. The exhibition includes photographs from Te Hau Komaru which the club took part in. ''What is great is having these little waka in on the water and among the big waka, enjoying that bigger waka whanau.'' There is also koha that has been given to the club over the years including six paddles, an anchor stone and waka ceramics by artist Phyllis Smith. A series of artworks made by a group of rangatahi and local artist Simon Kaan back in the late 1990s that depict the story of the coastline are being hung along with works of different waka from around the Pacific including 13 watercolour prints by Hawaiian artist and historian Herb Kawainui Kane. ''They show the connections. They're of different waka from different Pacific places, including Hokule'a . Hokule'a , was built or finished in 1975. It's been the 50th anniversary of this waka this year, and it was the big inspiration for the waka revitalisation. So he was the designer for that.'' One of his artworks depict New Zealand scenes including a waka and a weaver. ''So it celebrates waka kaupapa, waka taonga and waka connections throughout Aotearoa and the Pacific.'' Hauteruruku ki Puketeraki's journey began as a result of the revival of traditional navigation and sailing spear headed by Te Toki Voyaging about 15 years ago where there was an opportunity for Ngāi Tahu whanau to come together and sail as an iwi. Puketeraki kaumātua Hinerangi Ferrall-Heath's vision was to establish a club, so with Flack and husband Brendan Hauteruruku ki Puketeraki was formed with the aim to get whanau out on the water in a fun, safe way. Some whanau joined Fire in Ice waka ama club to learn paddling and steering and competed in a regatta. ''Gradually we grew towards being more kaupapa Māori than competitive,'' Flack says. They also began to build their own waka, bringing together people with different skills and interests. Its first job was to build a roof over its waka shed. ''At its heart is the build but what also grows are the relationships and connections made along the way.'' Now the waka is complete members will continue to learn how to sail it, water safety measures and how to look after it. Having the waka and other club taonga exhibited at the Hocken is a celebration of what the club has achieved during the past 15 years and the people involved, Flack says. ''We hope that those who have been involved with the waka over the years - whether as club members or through time spent on the water with us - will come and reconnect.'' TO SEE: • Ruruku: An exhibition by Hauteruruku ki Puketeraki waka club Hocken Gallery, until August 2. • Ruruku Waka Workshop, June 28, 11am.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beckwith debates Hoosiers in chippy town hall
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith answers questions during his May 27, 2025, town hall in Zionsville. (Niki Kelly/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Republican Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith went toe-to-toe with constituents at a Zionsville town hall Tuesday night — defending his stance on bringing religion into his public post and concerns about 'chemtrails.' About 100 Hoosiers attended the event, though some left as the event stretched to two hours. The night featured numerous interruptions from both Beckwith and those in the audience. Loud boos and noes were repeatedly lobbed. 'If you shoot little snide remarks at me, I might just shoot them right back,' Beckwith said during one exchange. After the event, Beckwith said he considered it a success. 'I'm not trying to win somebody over to my side of the argument. I'm just trying to say, hey, let's dialogue. And I'm going to tell you what I believe, why I believe it,' he told reporters. 'And, you know, I believe people are adults. They can make up their own minds after they hear what I say, and then you can let other people, you know, let their voices be heard as well.' One attendee, Scott Johnson, read several laws and constitutional provisions about religion in government, noting that the U.S. Constitution contains no references to the Bible or Christianity. 'I don't understand how you can swear an oath to the Constitution and then violate it,' he said. 'Your word should mean something, sir.' Another woman told Beckwith, who is a pastor, that Hoosiers are his constituents and not his congregants. His response was to point out God is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence four times. The crowd audibly groaned when Beckwith said the separation of church and state is a myth and that 'we are a Judeo-Christian nation.' One woman, who declined to provide her name, was concerned about the preservation of farmland in Boone County and other areas. 'I too believe in free enterprise, in the capital market, but I also believe that we have a responsibility to be good stewards of our land,' she said, specifically mentioning the Indiana Economic Development Corporation buying up land for the contentious LEAP district. Beckwith said he wants Gov. Mike Braun to clean house at the IEDC. 'I don't know if you can save the IEDC at this point because people don't trust it. People have seen the abuse that has gone on,' he said, adding that the LEAP project was 'slammed down the throats of the people of Boone County.' Another speaker pointed to Beckwith's recent peddling of a conspiracy theory that aircraft are nefariously spreading dangerous substances in the condensation trails — so-called 'chemtrails' — they leave in the sky. A second man said this is an issue that concerns him. 'You mentioned chemtrails and that's got my attention,' Alex Sutherland said. 'You look up at the sky today, it doesn't feel like May. It didn't at the Indy 500. I know they are spraying stuff out of those high-altitude jet planes.' Beckwith praised Florida and Tennessee for passing legislation targeting weather modification. And he noted a bill filed in Indiana to levy huge fines on anyone putting chemicals in the air to impact weather. 'I think it's worth looking into,' he said, adding, 'If we find out it's laughable then great.' During the exchange, Beckwith called the crowd 'leftist socialists.' One woman yelled back, 'We're Americans, not socialists.' Property taxes also earned discussion after a man gave examples of inconsistent assessed values in communities. 'We dropped the ball on this,' Beckwith said about the recently passed property tax reform package. He supports limiting property tax payments based on the purchase price of a home but acknowledged the problems can't be fixed overnight. 'It's going to take us longer than just a few months to untangle this mess,' Beckwith said. About 30 protesters gathered outside before the town hall began. Many were carrying signs. One said 'Lt. Gov. Beckwith. This is our state, not your church.' Another said he was '0/5 of a person' — referencing comments he made on the Three-Fifths Compromise. 'Micah Beckwith is harmful to children,' Amy Garman, of Indivisible Central Indiana, told the crowd. She said Republicans have banned books and outed transgender kids 'under the guise of parental rights.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
