SANTA CRUZ >> The Latest on the U.S. Supreme Court nomination of Chief Justice John Roberts (all times local):12:10 p.m.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is urging the U-S.
to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying it would help ease tensions and protect Palestinian refugees.
U.M. Ambassador to the U (UN) Antony Blinken, speaking at a news conference Friday, said that recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would provide a positive signal to other countries, such as Canada, to follow suit.
Blinken also said that the U.-S.
has the ability to protect Palestinian civilians by recognizing Jerusalem’s status as the eternal capital of the Jewish state.
He said that he’s hopeful that the Trump administration will honor this call, but stressed that the issue of Jerusalem is the highest priority for the Trump Administration.12:05 p.mi.
The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an appeal by a Texas pastor who was ordered by a federal judge to pay a $1,000 fine for violating the state’s anti-discrimination law by refusing to perform same-sex weddings.
The U.D. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled Friday that the law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity does not cover private businesses, such the one in the pastor’s church.
The ruling by the three-judge panel of the 9th U. S. Circuit court of appeals is a victory for the Rev. Jerry Falwell Jr., the son of the late evangelist Jerry Falco, who had challenged the law.
The ruling comes as the Trump White House and Republicans in Congress have moved to repeal the law as part of a broader effort to dismantle President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement, the Affordable Care Act.11:50 a.m.: The U-M Law School is considering a resolution that would declare the UMWs decision not to offer same-gender wedding ceremonies an act of discrimination, The Herald-Times reported Friday.
The resolution is expected to be voted on by the student body at the end of the week, said James Clark, a law professor at the school.
Clark said the resolution would seek to remove the “fear of losing a class opportunity” that students often experience when they are asked to attend a wedding or other ceremony, as well as the legal consequences for the school if it is found that the school discriminated.
The school already has an LGBTQ student center in the basement of its school building and has offered other services in the past, Clark said.
The proposed resolution would also include a pledge that the university would not allow its LGBTQ student population to feel unsafe at school.
11:35 a.mi.: The Trump administration announced Friday that it will lift the freeze on deportations for the nearly 4 million undocumented immigrants living in the U., but not all of them will be allowed to stay, according to The Associated Press.
The White House announced that it would suspend the deportations of more than half of the roughly 3 million undocumented people living in U.s., including more than 1 million in Texas.
The move came after Trump announced in June that he would end the DACA program, which protected undocumented immigrants who entered the country as children.
11 a.man: The Supreme Council of the Philippines, which is headed by Vice President Leni Robredo, is scheduled to hold its first meeting Friday in Manila, where the Philippine government is seeking to improve relations with Beijing.
Robredo said Friday that she hoped the meeting would be the first in a series of exchanges between the two countries and the first to be held before President Rodrigo Duterte takes office.
The meeting will also be the last in a “long term” series of meetings between the governments, Robredo told reporters.
Robredo said the meeting was important for Filipinos to learn more about the importance of their relationship with China and how the relationship has been affected by the Trump presidency.
She added that she would seek a better understanding of China’s “unwavering support” for the Philippines in its relations with the U, and she would call on the Chinese government to do more to protect its interests in the region.
Robño also expressed gratitude for the Duterte administration’s assistance in the Philippines’ territorial disputes with China, and said the country’s sovereignty should be respected.
Robado said she has been meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his top economic advisor, Guo Wengui.
She said the Philippine economy has seen its fair share of trouble, and the two nations should work to improve the trade relationship and boost the Philippine workforce.
11 am: The UMass Amherst Law School announced on its website that it is postponing a class on U.C. Berkeley’s history of the UMC until July 4.
The class, scheduled for July 4, will be “in recognition of the UC Berkeley’s 150th anniversary.”
The class will be taught by Richard
