Texas Sen. Cruz says 2015 Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage was wrong
WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Cruz is joining a multitude of conservatives in continuing to say the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage was wrong and an overreach, stoking concerns that the reversal of Roe v. Wade could impact other past decisions.
In a clip posted to his podcast YouTube channel Saturday, the Texas Republican discussed the “vulnerability” of the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling with conservative commentator Liz Wheeler.
“Obergefell, like Roe vs. Wade, ignored two centuries of our nation’s history,” Cruz said in the clip. “Marriage was always an issue that was left to the states.”
Before the decision, 37 states and Washington, D.C., had legalized same-sex marriages while Texas and nine other states had constitutional provisions that barred recognition of the unions. Cruz argued it should have remained for the states to decide.
—The Dallas Morning News
Orthodox Christian church kicks off national conference in Baltimore
BALTIMORE — A jurisdiction of one of Christianity’s oldest churches will hold its national convention in Baltimore this week, marking the second time this month that a prominent Christian faith tradition has held its most important regular gathering in the city.
The Orthodox Church in America — one of the largest jurisdictions of the Eastern Orthodox church in the United States — kicks off its “All-American Council” on Monday at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor.
More than a thousand officials, bishops, clergy members and parishioners of the 228-year-old branch of the worldwide church are expected to attend the five-day conference, where they’ll address business concerns, network, hear from delegates from its 14 dioceses and might consider resolutions on issues such as the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The Very Rev. Alexander Rentel, chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America, says delegates will deal with such arcana as pension plans and the election of new officials but more broadly will be “taking a hard look” at an ongoing shortage of priests, fostering the involvement of young people and making sure to hear from some of the jurisdiction’s more “far-flung” dioceses, including those in Alaska and Mexico.
—The Baltimore Sun
Skittles ‘unfit for human consumption,’ California lawsuit claims
Skittles, the colorful, fruit-flavored candy, are coming under fire after a lawsuit filed in Northern California says people are tasting more than the rainbow.
Although most people can identify Skittles flavors like lemon, strawberry and orange, few can probably name titanium dioxide, a coloring additive that helps give the candies their bright hue.
That ingredient is a “known toxin” and “unfit for human consumption,” according to a lawsuit filed last week against the Mars candy company in the Northern District of California. It argues that U.S. consumers are not aware of the health risks associated with the artificial food coloring.
Titanium dioxide — or TiO2 — is listed as an active ingredient in Skittles sold in the United States, although it has been removed from the candy’s recipe in several European nations and banned in several other countries, according to the lawsuit.
—Los Angeles Times
Russia orders forces to strike Ukraine’s long-range weapons
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered part of his forces to focus on destroying Ukraine’s long-range missile and artillery systems during a visit to troops in occupied territory.
Shoigu “instructed the commander to prioritize the defeat of long-range rocket and artillery weapons of the enemy with high-precision weapons” during a meeting with the military’s Vostok group, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday.
It wasn’t clear how much of a change this would represent since Russian troops have tried for months to destroy Ukrainian weapons in a “demilitarization” campaign that’s had mixed success as the U.S. and its European allies step up supplies of equipment to help the government in Kyiv.
Ukraine has received eight advanced U.S.-supplied HIMARS long-range artillery systems in recent weeks capable of striking Russian targets as far as 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. That has allowed it to hit logistics centers, supply lines and ammunition dumps deep behind the front lines and mostly from beyond the range of Russian artillery. The U.S. has promised to send Ukraine four more HIMARS, while the U.K. has also pledged to supply long-range missile systems.
—Bloomberg News
