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Yahoo
11 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
A recent history of Supreme Court ties
This article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night. The Supreme Court's religious charter school case came in with a bang and ended with a tie. The justices announced Thursday that they were 'equally divided' in Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond, which means the Oklahoma Supreme Court's ruling against the first-of-its-kind school remains in place. The possibility of a deadlocked court had been floated ever since Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself. Still, Thursday's announcement felt surreal — and anticlimactic. Well, maybe anticlimactic is the wrong word. I wasn't so much disappointed as I was unsettled by the idea that the country is no closer to a consensus on religious charter schools today than it was before the Oklahoma case was fully briefed and argued. But admitting that probably makes me sound naive. Multiple closely watched Supreme Court cases have ended in ties over the past decade, or in extremely narrow rulings that said little about underlying constitutional questions. Ties on the Supreme Court can stem from recusals, as the Drummond ruling did, or from vacancies. After Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016, a few notable cases ended with a 4-4 vote, including United States v. Texas, which was about the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, which was about public school unions. Ties stemming from recusals are particularly common after a new justice is appointed to the court, because the justice can't participate in cases they considered or worked on in their previous position. In the case of a tie at the Supreme Court level, the lower court decision remains in place. Tie rulings may become more common moving forward as the justices adapt to the court's relatively new ethics code. The code, which was adopted in 2023, puts more pressure on the justices to track and disclose potential conflicts of interest. The new ethics rules likely explain why four justices recused themselves this month from considering whether to hear a case that involved a prominent book publisher, according to The Washington Post. Because there weren't six justices left to vote, the lower court ruling will remain in place. First-of-its-kind religious charter school blocked by deadlocked Supreme Court Prayer service at Pentagon sparks religious freedom debate New research on astrology, tarot cards and fortune tellers is full of surprises Omega Gym in Rome caters to an unusual clientele: priests, nuns and monsignors from the Vatican City. Pope Leo XIV went there several times a week over the past two years — when he was still known as Robert Prevost — as he tried to improve his 'posture and cardiovascular capacity,' according to The Associated Press. 'When the name of the pope was announced, my phone rings and my son tells me, 'Dad, it's Robert! Robert, our member!'' Francesco Tamburlani, the owner of the gym, told the AP. 'I heard the gym staff behind him cheering. ... This moved us, filled us with joy.' Tamburlani added that Pope Leo's gym membership is still active, although it's unclear if he'll be able to use it. 'We would organize our gym to guarantee his safety and his privacy. We would just need a sign,' he told the AP. By now, you're probably sick of hearing about young people drifting away from organized religion. But I'm only bringing that up again now to help explain my fascination with the fact that engagement with religious programming is actually on the rise on college campuses across the country. 'People want to feel loved for who they are and not what they do,' Chaz Lattimore Howard, the university chaplain at the University of Pennsylvania, told The Atlantic. Whether or not they believe in God, they 'want to be reassured that it's going to be okay.' In his latest article for Religion Unplugged, my friend Bobby Ross Jr. offered an in-depth look at a faith-focused event that set the stage for a Detroit Tigers baseball game. NPR recently visited a small community south of Tampa, Florida, that's reeling after a beloved local pastor was unexpectedly detained by ICE. The Rev. Maurilio Ambrocio had paperwork allowing him to be in the United States and checked in with immigration agents regularly, but he was still taken into detention in April. 'You're gonna take you know a community leader, a Pastor, a hard working man … What, did you need a number that day?," one of the pastor's neighbors told NPR. Earlier this month, I wrote about a surprising religious freedom battle in Toms River, New Jersey, involving a proposed homeless shelter, a proposed pickleball court and eminent domain. The New York Times covered the same conflict last week and summarized the latest developments. Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend! Now it's time for the most important holiday season of all: my birthday week.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘I have no criminal record': Harvard grad brought to US as child self-deports to Mexico
An undocumented Harvard University graduate who had been living in the U.S. since he was a small child recently decided to self-deport to Mexico amid the Trump administration's wide-ranging immigration crackdown. Francisco Hernandez-Corona, 34, had been living in Texas until about a month ago with his husband, a U.S. citizen. With the new administration in power, however, he soon grew so afraid of being picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents that he stopped driving and wouldn't answer the door. The psychology graduate feared being detained because of a traffic stop by a cooperating local police department, as many immigrants have, or being sent against his will to an unfamiliar third country with poor human rights conditions like El Salvador. There, U.S. deportees are housed in a mega-prison with little hope of release from a facility which has been compared to a 'tropical gulag.' 'We started seeing ICE everywhere and people sent to El Salvador,' Hernandez-Corona told NBC News. The move back to Mexico was all the more striking because Hernandez-Corona said he would not typically be a top priority for deportation. 'I have no criminal record,' he told NewsNation. 'I have a work permit, right? I wasn't in a situation where I felt like I'm going to be deported tomorrow.' Still, despite getting married and settling in Texas, Hernandez-Corona was always at some level of risk. At the age of 10, his father arranged for him to be smuggled across the border, and Hernandez-Corona later applied for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which staves off deportation but doesn't grant full legal status. Hernandez-Corona later declined to renew his DACA status, instead seeking a visa through another program, which was not granted in time. Though the Harvard grad paid for his own airfare to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the Trump administration has offered undocumented migrants who self-depot $1,000, government-paid flights, and the chance to later legally apply for U.S. status. Last week, the administration said its first such repatriation flight took place, sending 68 back migrants to Colombia and Honduras.
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
‘I have no record': Harvard grad brought to US as child self-deports to Mexico
An undocumented Harvard University graduate who had been living in the U.S. since he was a small child recently decided to self-deport to Mexico amid the Trump administration's wide-ranging immigration crackdown. Francisco Hernandez-Corona, 34, had been living in Texas until about a month ago with his husband, a U.S. citizen. With the new administration in power, however, he soon grew so afraid of being picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents that he stopped driving and wouldn't answer the door. The psychology graduate feared being detained because of a traffic stop by a cooperating local police department, as many immigrants have, or being sent against his will to an unfamiliar third country with poor human rights conditions like El Salvador. There, U.S. deportees are housed in a mega-prison with little hope of release from a facility which has been compared to a 'tropical gulag.' 'We started seeing ICE everywhere and people sent to El Salvador,' Hernandez-Corona told NBC News. Francisco Hernandez-Corona previously sought protection under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (NewsNation screengrab) The move back to Mexico was all the more striking because Hernandez-Corona said he would not typically be a top priority for deportation. 'I have no criminal record,' he told NewsNation. 'I have a work permit, right? I wasn't in a situation where I felt like I'm going to be deported tomorrow.' Still, despite getting married and settling in Texas, Hernandez-Corona was always at some level of risk. At the age of 10, his father arranged for him to be smuggled across the border, and Hernandez-Corona later applied for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which staves off deportation but doesn't grant full legal status. Hernandez-Corona later declined to renew his DACA status, instead seeking a visa through another program, which was not granted in time. Though the Harvard grad paid for his own airfare to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the Trump administration has offered undocumented migrants who self-depot $1,000, government-paid flights, and the chance to later legally apply for U.S. status. Last week, the administration said its first such repatriation flight took place, sending 68 back migrants to Colombia and Honduras.
5 days ago
Georgia teen detained by ICE after mistaken arrest says detention was 'life-changing'
The Georgia teen who was arrested in a case of mistaken identity -- and then detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over her undocumented status -- is saying a day after her release on bond that her time in custody was "life-changing." Ximena Arias-Cristobal, 19, was arrested on May 5 in Dalton, Georgia, when her dark gray truck was mistaken for a black pickup that made an illegal turn. Those citations were later dropped once officials realized there was a mix-up, Dalton Assistant Police Chief Chris Crossen said. But she was still detained by ICE after it was discovered she was an undocumented immigrant. As she was being transferred to Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, she stopped at some offices in Atlanta, she said. "They had me in a room by myself for nine hours. I didn't know what was going on. It was never explained," Arias-Cristobal told Chattanooga, Tennessee, ABC affiliate WTVC Thursday after her release from detention.. "Being in Stewart changed my life. It's something that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. It's life-changing," she said. Arias-Cristobal, a student at Dalton State College, was in the ICE detention center for two weeks. "It was scary. I was terrified," Arias-Cristobal told WTVC. 'I won't ever be the same,' she told Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB in a separate phone interview. Arias-Cristobal was released on a $1,500 bond and the government did not wish to appeal, according to her attorney. "We do not have another hearing currently scheduled. It would be remarkable if it is before mid-2026," Charles Kuck, an attorney for Arias-Cristobal, told WTVC. She was granted bond on Wednesday and reunited with family at her home on Thursday. The teen came to the U.S. with her parents when she was 4 years old and is ineligible for relief from deportation through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which temporarily protects some migrants from deportation if they were brought to the country as children, an attorney for Arias-Cristobal told ABC News. Arias-Cristobal was not eligible to register for the DACA program because it ended before she became eligible to apply at 16 years old. The Department of Homeland Security said following her detainment that it is committed to ordering Arias-Cristobal to "self-deport" to Mexico and that she "admitted to illegally entering the United States and has no pending applications with USCIS."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
1st Commercial Credit Launches $20 Million Ledger Lines Program, Partners with Banks to Expand Working Capital Access
New revolving receivable-based facility fills critical lending gap for mid-market companies facing limited ABL and bank loan options AUSTIN, Texas, May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --1st Commercial Credit, LLC, a national leader in accounts receivable financing, trade payable finance, and invoice factoring, announces the launch of its new Ledger Lines program—providing revolving credit facilities of up to $20 million, backed by receivables and tailored for high-growth businesses. With Ledger Lines, businesses generating at least $3 million in monthly invoices can access up to 90% of receivable value as working capital. The structure avoids traditional debt by documenting the facility as a continuing receivable purchase, providing fast and flexible funding without complex loan covenants. "Ledger Lines are designed for companies that are too big for traditional factoring but not well-served by bank lending or rigid ABL structures," said Raul Esqueda, President of 1st Commercial Credit. "By working in partnership with banks and advisors, we're helping companies replace high-cost debt and unlock working capital without disrupting their existing financial relationships." Key Benefits of the Ledger Lines Program: Credit lines from $3 million to $20 million Up to 90% advance on eligible receivables Funding in as little as 3 weeks No traditional debt added to the balance sheet Banks may subordinate receivables while maintaining existing term loans Optional credit insurance to reduce risk Available to industries such as manufacturing, staffing, transportation, security, and importers The company reports growing demand from investment bankers, restructuring advisors, and bank workout departments who are turning to 1st Commercial Credit to support clients with cash flow constraints, MCA obligations, or seasonal volatility. Ledger Lines enables a seamless transition from high-cost loans and unscalable ABL products to receivables-based funding that grows with the business. To qualify, companies must maintain up-to-date financials, demonstrate profitability, and have a Chief Financial Officer overseeing internal operations. A Deposit Account Control Agreement (DACA) is also required to control receivable proceeds. Solving the $3M–$10M ABL Gap With many traditional asset-based lenders pulling back due to rising defaults and low margins, businesses in the $3M–$10M range are often left with few viable financing options. According to Esqueda, the complexity and cost of underwriting ABL deals at this size often exceed the returns. "Ledger Lines provide a scalable alternative to ABL," said Esqueda. "We remove the bottlenecks of traditional credit underwriting and give clients a funding solution that adjusts with their receivable base—not their collateral mix." Backed by Technology and Trade Credit Protection Ledger Lines builds on 1st Commercial Credit's $6 billion funding milestone achieved in 2024, and its $200 million in receivables insurance coverage. The program is powered by the company's proprietary MyBizPad® platform, which automates funding requests, and real-time receivables tracking—ensuring operational efficiency and transparency for clients. Contact Information: 1st Commercial Credit, LLC6500 River Place Blvd, Building 7, Suite 250, Austin, TX 78730(800) About 1st Commercial Credit Founded in Austin, Texas, 1st Commercial Credit, LLC is a privately-owned factoring company, a leader in receivable-based financing, purchase order financing and trade payable finance. Serving businesses across the U.S. and select international markets, the firm specializes in non-debt capital solutions for manufacturing, staffing, transportation, and importing companies—empowering businesses to scale without traditional borrowing. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE 1st Commercial Credit, LLC Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
