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Irish Daily Star
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Daily Star
Fox News host snaps at guest for calling her 'sweetheart' in on-air spat
Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum had a heated moment on her live show when a guest called her "sweetheart" during the broadcast. On her program The Story with Martha MacCallum, the veteran news anchor, 61, interviewed Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers on Tuesday. However, sparks flew soon after Randi, who has led the union since 2008, appeared on Fox to deliberate over a Supreme Court case regarding religious parents ' censorship rights over LGBTQ+ content in public schools . Yesterday, the Supreme Court's conservative majority signaled support for the religious rights of parents in Maryland who want to remove their children from elementary school classes using storybooks with LGBTQ characters. It appears the court might side with objections from parents, finding the Montgomery County school system just outside Washington, cannot make elementary pupils participate in classes with such books if parents have religiously-based objections. Read More Related Articles Jennifer Aniston moves on with Hollywood hunk after ex-husband's secret wedding Read More Related Articles Pierce Brosnan sends crystal clear message about his 31-year-long relationship Part of a trio of religious rights cases the justices are examining this term, this issue follows the court's trend of affirming claims of religious bias in recent times. The contested books, which include titles such as Prince and Knight and Uncle Bobby's Wedding, were introduced by the school district in 2022 to celebrate the community's diversity. Randi Weingarten appeared on Fox News on Tuesday (Image: Getty) Initially, parents could opt their children out of certain school lessons for religious and other reasons, but the school board did an about-face a year later, sparking protests and eventually a lawsuit. A verdict in the case is anticipated by early summer, reports the Express US . During her an interview with Randi on the subject, Martha couldn't help but laugh and shake her head, clearly disagreeing - and she even scoffed when her guest commended a Massachusetts school district for creating "a real culture of a safe and welcoming school." The news anchor challenged, "So what you're saying is if we can find other areas in the country where the proficiency levels are also abysmal and should be embarrassing to any education organization, then we can start to make assessments and say, 'Oh it's because of choice,' or 'Oh it's because of money?' We know that money doesn't equate a better outcome." Martha MacCallum asked her guest not to call her 'sweetheart' (Image: Fox News) But when Randi cut off Martha mid-sentence, insisting, "Martha, Martha, Martha, sweetheart, sweetheart, listen to me. It actually does," the host immediately retorted with a sharp, "Please don't call me sweetheart." Randi quickly apologized with "I'm sorry, my bad," and the conversation went on. Later, Martha expressed her views by saying, "I'm honestly less concerned with them being their full selves than I am with them being able to read and write and do math. And that is the biggest problem that we face in our schools today, and if I talk to one more teacher who tells me that they are not allowed to hold a child back who cannot read.." For all the latest news straight to your inbox, sign up for our FREE newsletters here . Randi, who is also the ex-head of the United Federation of Teachers, chimed in, "I agree with you! I agree with you! You need both, you need both." The back-and-forth between Martha and the educator and labor leader buzzed up on social media, sparking debates. Chatter about the term "sweetheart" ensued, with a supporter saying on X, "Martha MacCallum is the best! She should give lessons on 'setting boundaries' to every journalist on the air." Someone else tweeted, "Good for Martha!" However, there was opposition too, with a comment reading, "I get annoyed by controlled speech. There is nothing wrong with sweetheart, its common speech in America." One critic argued against policing language, posting "Are we going to start dictating dialects like the woke left now? Im from the midwest where men are called boys and women are called sweetheart. Deal with it, not changing." And finally, a viewer's post read disapprovingly, "Martha is so lame. Is she still anti-Trump?" For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here .
Boston Globe
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Supreme Court signals support for Maryland parents who object to LGBTQ books in public schools
'I'm surprised this is the hill to die on in terms of not respecting religious liberty,' Justice Brett Kavanaugh said, citing the county's diverse population and Maryland's history as a haven for Catholics. The county school board introduced the storybooks as part of an effort to better reflect the district's diversity. Advertisement Parents sued after the school system stopped allowing them to pull their kids from lessons that included the books. The parents argue that public schools cannot force kids to participate in instruction that violates their faith, and they pointed to the opt-out provisions in sex education classes. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The schools said allowing children to opt out of the lessons had become disruptive. Lower courts backed the schools, prompting the parents' appeal to the Supreme Court. Five books are at issue in the high court case, touching on the same themes found in classic stories that include Snow White, Cinderella and Peter Pan, the school system's lawyers wrote. In 'Prince and Knight,' two men fall in love after they rescue the kingdom, and each other. In 'Uncle Bobby's Wedding,' a niece worries that her uncle will not have as much time for her after he gets married. His partner is a man. Advertisement 'Love, Violet' deals with a girl's anxiety about giving a valentine to another girl. 'Born Ready' is the story of a transgender boy's decision to share his gender identity with his family and the world. 'Intersection Allies' describes nine characters of varying backgrounds, including one who is gender-fluid. Billy Moges, a board member of the Kids First parents' group that sued over the books, said the content is sexual, confusing and inappropriate for young schoolchildren. The writers' group Pen America said in a court filing what the parents want is 'a constitutionally suspect book ban by another name.' Pen America reported more than 10,000 books were banned in the last school year. A decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor is expected by early summer.
San Francisco Chronicle
22-04-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Supreme Court takes up religious rights dispute over LGBTQ books in Maryland schools
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments Tuesday over the religious rights of parents in Maryland to remove their children from elementary school classes using storybooks with LGBTQ characters. The case is the latest dispute involving religion to come before the conservative-led court. The justices have repeatedly endorsed claims of religious discrimination in recent years. The Montgomery County public schools, in suburban Washington, D.C., introduced the storybooks as part of an effort to better reflect the district's diverse population. Parents sued after the school system stopped allowing them to pull their kids from lessons that included the books. The parents argue that public schools cannot force kids to participate in instruction that violates their faith, and they pointed to the opt-out provisions in sex education classes. The schools said allowing children to opt out of the lessons had become disruptive. Lower courts backed the schools, prompting the parents' appeal to the Supreme Court. Five books are at issue in the high court case, touching on the same themes found in classic stories that include Snow White, Cinderella and Peter Pan, the school system's lawyers wrote. In 'Prince and Knight,' two men fall in love after they rescue the kingdom, and each other. In 'Uncle Bobby's Wedding,' a niece worries that her uncle will not have as much time for her after he gets married. His partner is a man. 'Love, Violet' deals with a girl's anxiety about giving a valentine to another girl. 'Born Ready' is the story of a transgender boy's decision to share his gender identity with his family and the world. 'Intersection Allies' describes nine characters of varying backgrounds, including one who is gender-fluid. Billy Moges, a board member of the Kids First parents' group that sued over the books, said the content is sexual, confusing and inappropriate for young schoolchildren. The writers' group Pen America said in a court filing what the parents want is 'a constitutionally suspect book ban by another name.' Pen America reported more than 10,000 books were banned in the last school year.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supreme Court takes up religious rights dispute over LGBTQ books in Maryland schools
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments Tuesday over the religious rights of parents in Maryland to remove their children from elementary school classes using storybooks with LGBTQ characters. The case is the latest dispute involving religion to come before the conservative-led court. The justices have repeatedly endorsed claims of religious discrimination in recent years. The Montgomery County public schools, in suburban Washington, D.C., introduced the storybooks as part of an effort to better reflect the district's diverse population. Parents sued after the school system stopped allowing them to pull their kids from lessons that included the books. The parents argue that public schools cannot force kids to participate in instruction that violates their faith, and they pointed to the opt-out provisions in sex education classes. The schools said allowing children to opt out of the lessons had become disruptive. Lower courts backed the schools, prompting the parents' appeal to the Supreme Court. Five books are at issue in the high court case, touching on the same themes found in classic stories that include Snow White, Cinderella and Peter Pan, the school system's lawyers wrote. In 'Prince and Knight,' two men fall in love after they rescue the kingdom, and each other. In 'Uncle Bobby's Wedding,' a niece worries that her uncle will not have as much time for her after he gets married. His partner is a man. 'Love, Violet' deals with a girl's anxiety about giving a valentine to another girl. 'Born Ready' is the story of a transgender boy's decision to share his gender identity with his family and the world. 'Intersection Allies' describes nine characters of varying backgrounds, including one who is gender-fluid. Billy Moges, a board member of the Kids First parents' group that sued over the books, said the content is sexual, confusing and inappropriate for young schoolchildren. The writers' group Pen America said in a court filing what the parents want is 'a constitutionally suspect book ban by another name.' Pen America reported more than 10,000 books were banned in the last school year. A decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor is expected by early summer.
The Independent
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Supreme Court takes up religious rights dispute over LGBTQ books in Maryland schools
The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments Tuesday over the religious rights of parents in Maryland to remove their children from elementary school classes using storybooks with LGBTQ characters. The case is the latest dispute involving religion to come before the conservative-led court. The justices have repeatedly endorsed claims of religious discrimination in recent years. The Montgomery County public schools, in suburban Washington, D.C., introduced the storybooks as part of an effort to better reflect the district's diverse population. Parents sued after the school system stopped allowing them to pull their kids from lessons that included the books. The parents argue that public schools cannot force kids to participate in instruction that violates their faith, and they pointed to the opt-out provisions in sex education classes. The schools said allowing children to opt out of the lessons had become disruptive. Lower courts backed the schools, prompting the parents' appeal to the Supreme Court. Five books are at issue in the high court case, touching on the same themes found in classic stories that include Snow White, Cinderella and Peter Pan, the school system's lawyers wrote. In ' Prince and Knight,' two men fall in love after they rescue the kingdom, and each other. In 'Uncle Bobby's Wedding,' a niece worries that her uncle will not have as much time for her after he gets married. His partner is a man. 'Love, Violet' deals with a girl's anxiety about giving a valentine to another girl. 'Born Ready' is the story of a transgender boy's decision to share his gender identity with his family and the world. 'Intersection Allies' describes nine characters of varying backgrounds, including one who is gender-fluid. Billy Moges, a board member of the Kids First parents' group that sued over the books, said the content is sexual, confusing and inappropriate for young schoolchildren. The writers' group Pen America said in a court filing what the parents want is 'a constitutionally suspect book ban by another name.' Pen America reported more than 10,000 books were banned in the last school year. A decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor is expected by early summer.
