Good morning. Hey, it’s Wednesday already, and it’s the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Let’s take a look at the Digest.
1. A St. Cloud couple that runs a film company is suing the state because they don’t want to have to film same-sex marriages.Carl and Angel Larsen's Telescope Media Group filed suit Tuesday in federal court against the state's commissioner of human rights and attorney general, saying the state human rights law should be declared unconstitutional because it violates their religious freedom. The suit has the backing of a group calledthe Alliance Defending Freedom, which is has fought transgender bathroom policies, marriage equality and contraception. (Star Tribune)
2.About 30 Minnesota congregations have joined an effort to either become or support “sanctuary churches” - meaning the places of worship will serve as a refuge for people in immediate danger. Some churches will provide other resources, including legal help. Even though President Obama has deported more people than any other president, the churches say they’re making the move because of the rhetoric used by President-elect Donald Trump during the campaign, (MPR News)
3. Ramsey County Sheriff Matt Bostrom is resigning halfway into his second term to pursue a research opportunity at the University of Oxford University in England. The county board will appoint a replacement to fill out the next two years. (Pioneer Press)
4. A union local representing Carrier workers in Indiana says the actual number of jobs saved by President-elect Trump’s intervention last week is 730, not the 1,100 that Trump announced. The numbers came in a flyer sent to Carrier workers.“We found out today that more jobs are leaving than what we originally thought,” Carrier worker T.J. Bray, who’s also a communications rep for the union said. “It seemed like since Thursday, it was 1,100 then it was maybe 900 and then now we’re at 700. So I’m hoping it doesn’t go any lower than that.” (WTHR-TV)
5. Trump’s conversation with the president of Taiwan that raised alarms in China came after the president-elect was lobbied by former Senate Republican leader Bob Dole, who works for a law firm that is paid by Taiwan. Dole was an early Trump backer, and has been working for six months to connect Trump with Taiwanese officials."They're very optimistic," Mr. Dole said of the Taiwanese in an interview with the New York Times on Tuesday. "They see a new president, a Republican, and they'd like to develop a closer relationship." (New York Times)
