Latest news with #SaintIsidore
India Today
18-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Christian character school blocked by court in USA's Oklahoma, sparks debate
An attempt to open the United States' first taxpayer-funded religious charter school has come to a halt. The proposed online Catholic school in Oklahoma, Saint Isidore of Seville, will not be allowed to operate with public money. The decision follows a series of legal battles that ended with a split verdict in the US Supreme Court, effectively letting a lower court ruling THE CASE WAS ABOUTThe issue began in 2023 when Oklahoma's Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved Saint Isidore to operate with state funding. While open to all students, the school planned to run according to Catholic raised concerns among parents, educators, and civil rights groups. The Oklahoma Parent Legislative Advocacy Coalition (OKPLAC) filed a lawsuit, backed by the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. They argued the school violated laws separating religion and public SUPREME COURT STEPS INIn June 2025, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that taxpayer support for a religious school was unconstitutional under state law. The decision said public funds could not be used for religious school and the charter board appealed the ruling to the US Supreme Court. But the court split 4-4, which meant the lower court's decision WITHDRAWN, BUT DEBATE CONTINUESAfter the Supreme Court deadlock, OKPLAC withdrew its case. Its chair, Misty Bradley, said the outcome protected public schools and taxpayers. 'We are grateful to those who stood with us,' she said, thanking Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond for supporting the Mach from the ACLU added, 'Public schools must remain secular and open to all, regardless of faith.'OPPOSITION FROM THE GOVERNORGovernor Kevin Stitt, who backed the school, was not satisfied with the result. He called the court's tie 'a non-decision' and said the issue is not believes another case could come before the Supreme Court with all nine justices, which might lead to a different IT MEANS GOING FORWARDThe case has become a key moment in the national debate over funding religious charter schools. While Oklahoma's ruling blocks taxpayer-funded religious education for now, the issue is far from more states try to fund similar schools, new legal battles could shape how public education and religious instruction intersect in the future.- Ends
CTV News
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre looks to share his story on stage
Mixed martial arts champion Georges St-Pierre strikes a pose after unveiling a bronze statue of himself in a fighting stance during the inauguration of Place GSP in his hometown of Saint-Isidore, Que. on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press) TORONTO — Former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre wants to share his story. From being bullied as a child to holding down three jobs while going to college. And the stress and challenges he faced in his rise to being a two-division mixed martial arts champion. The 44-year-old St-Pierre, a native of Saint-Isidore, Que., who is a member of both the Canada Sports Hall of Fame and UFC Hall of Fame, will debut 'GSP: The Instinct of a Champion' at Toronto's Meridian Hall on Sept. 29 with other Canadian dates to follow in 2026. The hope is to then take the show to the U.S. and other countries. St-Pierre is no stranger to speaking publicly, having made plenty of speeches to corporate and other gatherings. The speaking tour will take the form of a live interview, followed by an audience Q-and-A. 'I will explain how I deal with fear, with stress. Background stories. Different protocol and tricks that I used throughout my career,' St-Pierre said from Thailand where he currently filming a reality show to air next year on Netflix. He believes the September show will work for both fans and those who hope to learn something that they can apply to their own lives. 'A lot of what I do is always oriented towards the art of war — in terms of performance, how to be the best. And to be able to reach the top,' he explained. St-Pierre officially retired in February 2019 with a 26-2-0 record, having won the middleweight title in his last fight at UFC 217 in November 2017. He previously was the longtime welterweight champion. Sharing his story was difficult at first, he acknowledges. 'Now time has passed and I can talk about a lot of things in my life that I was not so comfortable to talk about when I was younger,' he said. 'Things like my dad when he was drinking and how it would affect me. Because when he quit drinking, he became my No. 1 inspiration. I saw how hard it was (for him). 'So everything started negative in the beginning but then later it became a positive thing, because it became an inspiration for me. When he made that sacrifice (forgoing alcohol), it really reunited my family and it bound us back together. It's something that had a huge impact on my life … I feel very lucky and very privileged to have a great role model.' St-Pierre comes from humble beginnings on Montreal's South Shore. His father spent more than 60 hours a week on a floor-recovering business, installing carpet and ceramics. His mother nursed the elderly. St-Pierre earned his own floor-recovering certificate before making it big in MMA. Tony Gattillo, the Montreal-based producer of the show, believes St-Pierre's story can serve as inspiration. 'I think people will leave the show very motivated and will want to apply certain things that Georges is going to share … for the first time. And motivate the people,' said Gattillo, a former singer now working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. 'And help them realize that if you want to be a champion in your life or you want to reach a certain goal, there is hard work to do. There's dedication. There's discipline. And mental toughness.' When St-Pierre entered the modern wing of the UFC Hall of Fame in 2020, he was one of seven UFC fighters to win a title in two weight classes. He retired on a 13-fight win streak with a record that included 13 title fight victories, the second most in UFC history, and boasted the most strikes landed (2,591), most significant ground strikes landed (461) and most takedowns (90). This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2025 By Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
CTV News
17-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Asian Heritage Month: Montreal businesses inspired by home cultures
It's Asian Heritage Month. To celebrate Montrealers with origins from the Far East diaspora, every Saturday in May, CTV News is highlighting individuals who have not only built their lives here but also created thriving local businesses. Expand Autoplay 1 of 8 Long Phung The family behind Long Phung. (Long Phung) Long Phung Long Phung products. (Long Phung) Long Phung Long Phung products. (Long Phung) Long Phung Long Phung products. (Long Phung) Long Phung Long Phung products. (Long Phung) Long Phung Long Phung products. (Long Phung) Long Phung Long Phung products. (Long Phung) Long Phung Long Phung products. (Long Phung) Long Phung It's a family affair at Long Phụng, a company that has manufactured Vietnamese sausages in Quebec since 1988. 'We are five siblings, born one year apart, and we often compare ourselves to the fingers of a hand,' explains My Hanh Pham. 'Each of us has a different role in the family business, contributing to its success in our own way.' The company was started in Saint-Isidore, Que. by couple Thế Long Phạm and Thị Tin Nguyễn, as a nod of nostalgia to the childhood flavours of their homeland. Things were admittedly a little rocky at first, with a health inspector knocking on their door to tell them they can't legally make or sell sausages from their home. 'That inspector, Monsieur Sicard, didn't just stop there – he helped us find a proper factory, setting us on the path to where we are today: a federally regulated facility distributing products across Canada,' said Pham. 'His support was an unforgettable part of our journey.' Today, the family distributes to Asian markets across Canada, bringing what they call an 'authentic taste of Vietnam to communities nationwide.' 'Looking back, many Vietnamese refugees came to Canada in search of a new home,' Pham notes. 'Our parents missed the flavours of Vietnam and wanted to ensure that their children grew up with a taste of their heritage.' She points out that though the second generation is currently running the business, the third is already learning the ropes as they grow up. 'We are committed to continuing our parents' legacy, sharing our Vietnamese heritage through food, and building a strong family business for generations to come,' said Pham. 'Cultural diversity makes a country richer. The more people are exposed to different cultures, the more vibrant and dynamic Montreal becomes.' Suitablee Artificial intelligence (AI) generated suits: it's a real thing, and it's a technology Suitablee co-founder Jean-Sebastien Siow is using to his advantage. 'Measuring people in those first years and learning the trade…I would just see a customer, and I'd be able to pretty much size them up with my eyes,' he said. Siow, a computer engineer, says he started looking at AI as a possibility to do what his eyes were already capable of. The results, he says, were impressive from the get-go. 'We take body scans, and all the patterns are digitally created so that we can create a bespoke outfit without it costing anything more than an off-the-rack price,' he said. 'When we take a scan, unlike taking a measuring tape, we take a lot more data, such as angles of shoulders and the angle at which somebody stands, which can change a lot of things in a suit.' Siow says his curiosity for well-tailored suits came from his travels back to his mother's homeland of Vietnam. 'We always wondered, how is it that they can do it that well?' he said. 'If you go to Vietnam…or China…there's a lot of little entrepreneurs... Getting a tailored suit is part of the culture.' READ MORE: Quebec teen with NBA dreams towers over the competition Nowadays, Suitablee dresses everyone from the average Montrealer to NBA dreamer Jérémy Gohier and other well-known sports superstars. Another thing that sets his company apart? Suitablee doesn't use professional models. 'We said, 'let's just start putting our faces,' despite the fact that people weren't used to seeing Asian models, and our brand started to do even better,' Siow said. 'All of our models are our employees, and it's an extremely diverse group of people…We've just hired the best people, and we're very proud of having a very diverse company.' Expand Autoplay 1 of 2 Atout Coeur Design Atout Coeur Design products. (Atout Coeur Design) Atout Coeur Design Atout Coeur Design products. (Atout Coeur Design) Atout Coeur Design Julieanna Law, or Juju as she's known to friends and family, says she took a leap of faith in opening Atout Coeur Design, an innovative hub offering personalized gifts, event planning and creative workshops. 'We specialize in DIY wood painting, a unique offering in Montreal, where I teach everything from painting to glueing and assembling,' explains the 42-year-old mother of three. 'The pandemic inspired me to create a space where both children and adults can explore their creativity. It was a bold step, but seeing the joy and creativity it brings to others has been incredibly rewarding.' She describes opening the space as both 'exciting and challenging.' After all, she left a steady job behind and didn't quite have a concrete business plan in hand. 'I took a leap during the pandemic to create a place for socialization and mental well-being,' she said. 'The support from the community has been heartwarming, making the journey worthwhile.' Through the years, Law says she's learned resilience and hopes Montrealers will continue to uplift those around them. 'Supporting small POC (person of colour) businesses in Montreal is an opportunity to embrace diversity and innovation,' she said. 'I hope people learn the value of community support and the richness that diverse perspectives bring to the business world.'
France 24
30-04-2025
- Politics
- France 24
US Supreme Court weighs public funding of religious charter school
Nearly all 50 US states allow charter schools, of which there are some 8,000 in the country. They are government-funded but operate independently of local school districts and are not allowed to charge tuition or have a religious affiliation. The Catholic Church in Oklahoma is vying to open the nation's first publicly funded religious charter school, Saint Isidore of Seville. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled last year that the public funding mechanism for the proposed Catholic charter school in the central state was unconstitutional. The separation between church and state is a bedrock principle in the United States, rooted in the First Amendment of the Constitution. The separation has been upheld in many Supreme Court decisions. During oral arguments on Wednesday, conservative justices on the court however appeared open to allowing public funding of the school, a position backed by the administration of Republican President Donald Trump. "All the religious school is saying is, 'Don't exclude us on account of our religion,'" said Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a conservative Trump appointee. "Our cases have made very clear... you can't treat religious people and religious institutions and religious speech as second class in the United States," Kavanaugh said, adding that it "seems like rank discrimination against religion." The three liberal justices disagreed. "We're not going to pay religious leaders to teach their religion," said Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the three Democratic appointees. Conservatives hold a 6-3 majority on the nation's highest court, but Justice Amy Coney Barrett, another Trump appointee, has recused herself from the case, possibly because of previous connections to parties in the case. That leaves Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative, as the potential swing vote. A 4-4 decision would leave the Oklahoma Supreme Court's ruling in place. 'Dramatic effect' Gregory Garre, representing Oklahoma's attorney general, said a decision in favor of St Isidore would "not only lead to the creation of the nation's first religious public school," it would render unconstitutional the entire federal charter school program and the laws governing charter schools in 47 US states. "This is going to have a dramatic effect on charter schools across the country," Garre said. "Teaching religion as truth in public schools is not allowed," he added. "St Isidore has made clear that that's exactly what it wants to do in infusing its school day with the teachings of Jesus Christ." The Supreme Court's conservatives have previously demonstrated support for extending religion into public spaces, particularly schools. The court has issued a number of recent rulings blurring the boundaries between church and state, including a decision that a public high school football coach can lead his players in prayer. The court has also allowed parents to use government vouchers to pay for the education of their children at private religious schools. The case was brought by the conservative Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), and the Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling by the end of June. Oklahoma's Republican superintendent Ryan Walters, the highest education official in the state, has been among those pushing for the establishment of the religious charter school. Walters has ordered public schools in Oklahoma to teach the Bible, a move met with lawsuits by parents and teachers. Nationally, there were more than 3.7 million students enrolled in 8,150 charter schools during the 2022-2023 school year, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
