
Mark Ruffalo slams Joe Rogan as 'a little late' after podcast host calls Trump ICE raids 'insane'
The "Avengers" star called out the popular podcast host after Rogan described ICE raids on workplaces as "insane" during a recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience."
"Dear Joe Rogan. It's a little late now to pretend like Project 2025 didn't exist and wasn't the play book all along. You are either not that smart or not that dumb. It's hard to tell at this point," Ruffalo wrote on Instagram Threads.
Rogan, who endorsed Trump on the eve of the 2024 election and interviewed him during the campaign, criticized the president's immigration raids at construction sites and other workplaces, during a conversation with Replit CEO Amjad Masad.
"We were told there would be no — well, there's two things that are insane," Rogan said on the July 2 episode. "One is the targeting of migrant workers. Not cartel members, not gang members, not drug dealers. Just construction workers. Showing up in construction sites, raiding them. Gardeners. Like, really?"
Rogan did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment on Ruffalo's remarks.
Trump announced last week that his administration was "working on" exemptions for laborers in the farming and hotel industries in response to concerns raised by farmers and hospital operators about losing valuable members of their workforce in the sweeping immigration raids.
Trump said workers who have spent years in the U.S. labor force, particularly in the agriculture and hospitality industries, may be eligible for a new type of work permit that would allow them to remain in the country legally, pay taxes and continue working but without receiving citizenship.
"We're going to take care of our farmers and hotel workers, but we're working on it right now. And Ron [DeSantis is] going to be involved," Trump said last Tuesday during a tour of a new immigration detention camp in Florida's Everglades that is surrounded by alligators, "Alligator Alcatraz."
"They can be here legally. They can pay taxes and everything. They're not getting citizenship, but they get other things. And the farmers need them to do the work," Trump said. "Without those people, you're not going to be able to run your farm."
Ruffalo, an outspoken progressive activist born in the U.S., rallied against the administration's immigration policies at a "No Kings" protest in New York City on June 14, where he wore a hat with the word "immigrant" emblazoned on it and made various statements about the value of immigrants to America.
The actor claimed that Trump and conservatives are scapegoating migrants for the problems created by America's majority population and billionaires.
"Well, we're seeing what's happening. First of all, we're understanding that the immigrants aren't the criminals. If you look at the statistics, most of the crimes committed in this country are by White people — non-immigrants," he told activist group New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) at the rally.
He also called on people to come together to "take our country back" from billionaires.
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Washington Post
35 minutes ago
- Washington Post
A surprise IRS move on political endorsements leaves faith leaders and experts divided
WASHINGTON — A surprise move by the IRS that would allow pastors to back political candidates from the pulpit without losing their organization's tax-exempt status is drawing praise from conservatives and even some progressive religious groups but concern from other leaders of faith, along with tax and legal experts. A 1954 provision in the tax code called the Johnson Amendment says churches and other nonprofits could lose their tax-exempt status if they participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. The rule was rarely enforced.

Associated Press
38 minutes ago
- Associated Press
A surprise IRS move on political endorsements leaves faith leaders and experts divided
WASHINGTON (AP) — A surprise move by the IRS that would allow pastors to back political candidates from the pulpit without losing their organization's tax-exempt status is drawing praise from conservatives and even some progressive religious groups but concern from other leaders of faith, along with tax and legal experts. A 1954 provision in the tax code called the Johnson Amendment says churches and other nonprofits could lose their tax-exempt status if they participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. The rule was rarely enforced. While the IRS did not go as far as calling for the repeal of the Johnson Amendment, it said in court documents Monday that communications in good faith by a church to its flock does not amount to 'intervening' or affecting the outcome of a political campaign. 'Communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith do not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment as properly interpreted,' the IRS said. The new IRS interpretation came after decades of debate and, most recently, lawsuits from the National Religious Broadcasters association and other conservative churches complaining that the amendment violates their First Amendment rights, among other legal protections. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, President Donald Trump called the IRS' assessment 'terrific.' 'I love the fact that churches can endorse a political candidate,' he said. 'We have a lot of respect for the people that lead the church.' While some congregations see a new freedom to speak openly about preferred candidates, others see openings for campaign finance corruption, new pressures on religious leaders and an overall entanglement between church and state. Praises to the IRS Robert Jeffress, pastor of a Baptist megachurch in Dallas and a Trump ally, called it 'the right decision.' He said his church's tax-exempt status was threatened because of an IRS investigation into their political endorsements, costing the megachurch hundreds of thousands in legal fees. 'The IRS has no business dictating what can be said from the pulpit,' he said. 'They need to stay the heck out of our churches.' Calvary Church Chino Hills, a Southern California megachurch led by Jack Hibbs, has been endorsing candidates for years, particularly in local elections. Gina Gleason, director of the church's political engagement team, said she hopes the move will encourage smaller churches previously hesitant for fear of triggering an IRS response. 'I'd have thought if the IRS had targeted any church it would've been us,' she said. 'But we got sound legal advice from lawyers and religious liberty organizations that explained we were within our constitutional rights.' For Democrats trying to connect with people of faith, this decision is timely, said Doug Pagitt, pastor and executive director of Vote Common Good, a progressive and evangelical Christian organization. 'Conservative pastors who have been blatantly endorsing candidates regardless of the Johnson Amendment over the years created a disadvantage causing Democrats to step away from faith voters,' he said. 'There was a true imbalance between how many more opportunities there were for Republican voters.' The IRS statement, Pagitt says, also puts an end to the delicate dance pastors and congregations were forced to do. 'You could talk about politics in the church gymnasium, but not in the sanctuary or from the pulpit,' he said. 'Pastors could express political opinions on their personal Facebook page, but not on the church's website. It's just silly.' Church politicking concerns Tax and constitutional law experts, meanwhile, are wary of what entanglements could arise from the IRS' new position. Philip Hackney, a University of Pittsburgh School of Law professor who studies the relationship between churches and tax authority, said the decree could allow churches to push new boundaries. 'It's essentially creating a political intervention tax shelter for churches,' Hackney said. 'It has the potential to corrupt their mission, more towards politics and away from their true beliefs.' Other religious groups, particularly in faith communities of color, are viewing it with skepticism. The Rev. Mark Whitlock, senior pastor at Reid Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church in Glenn Dale, Maryland, said it raises more questions than answers. 'From those of us in the Black church, this decision is being viewed with caution, apprehension and skepticism,' he said. 'The question we're asking is: 'Why now?'' Whitlock said he will continue to do what the Black church has always done — educating and civically engaging parishioners. His congregants' political views vary, too. 'If I do say something in church, it needs to be God-centered, God-focused and a revelation that God gave you,' Whitlock said. 'You can't go to the pulpit as a campaign manager.' Raymond Chang, president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative, warned that a repeal of the Johnson Amendment could help tether some congregations to certain parties or candidates. 'This can lead to a partisan identity becoming the primary marker of a church or congregation, over a commitment to the Gospel, which cuts against both existing major parties,' he said. 'Church leaders may also face pressure to make political endorsements.' What comes next Nearly 80% of U.S. adults believe churches and other houses of worship should not come out in favor of one political candidate over another during elections, a Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2022 found. White evangelicals and Black Protestants were a little more divided on the matter, with about one-third in each group favoring political endorsements. But in every other religious group surveyed, there was a strong consensus against political involvement by houses of worship. Others are more optimistic that the IRS statement puts to bed unfounded criticisms against the agency for a rarely enforced rule. Terry Lemons, a former IRS official who began at the agency under Democratic President Bill Clinton, called it a 'common sense approach through a narrowly written filing.' Roger Colinvaux, a Catholic University of America law professor, said he would caution churches against 'overinterpreting' the IRS statement. He points out that the word 'endorse' does not appear anywhere in it and said his biggest concern is religion being used as a partisan tool in campaigns. Pagitt at Common Good said not all pastors will seize the opportunity because they might be ministering to a divided congregation or might not be comfortable mixing politics and religion. Chieko Noguchi, spokesperson for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Tuesday that the IRS statement doesn't 'change how the Catholic Church engages in public debate.' 'The Church seeks to help Catholics form their conscience in the Gospel so they might discern which candidates and policies would advance the common good,' Noguchi said. 'The Catholic Church maintains its stance of not endorsing or opposing political candidates.' ___ Bharath reported from Los Angeles. ___ AP's religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Associated Press
42 minutes ago
- Associated Press
North Carolina governor vetoes another set of bills, including one on guns in private schools
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Josh Stein cleared his desk Wednesday of the deluge of bills passed to him from the North Carolina General Assembly last month, three of which he vetoed. Stein topped off his veto total at 14 for this year's legislative session. One of the vetoes prolongs the extensive battle between the governor's office and GOP-controlled legislature over gun laws — an issue Republican lawmakers prioritized when they came to Raleigh. Now that all of Stein's vetoes have been returned to the Legislative Building, possible veto override attempts could occur starting later this month. House Speaker Destin Hall reaffirmed that possibility in a post on the social platform X. 'We're keeping score. Overrides coming soon,' Hall said. With Republicans one House seat short of a veto-proof supermajority, GOP leaders may have to pick and choose which measures to take action on. A few bills with some Democratic support may be able to skirt by. The first vetoed bill would allow certain people to carry firearms onto private school property with permission from the school's board of trustees or administrative director. The person — either an employee or a volunteer — would be required to have a concealed handgun permit and complete a training class. Republican proponents of the bill said it would keep private schools safe in rural areas where police response time is longer. Stein argued in his veto statement that school employees and volunteers 'cannot substitute' law enforcement officers, who receive hundreds of hours of safety education, when crises occur. The governor did voice support for another provision in the bill that would heighten penalties for threatening or assaulting an elected official. He urged the legislature to 'send me a clean bill with those protections so I can sign it.' 'Just as we should not allow guns in the General Assembly, we should keep them out of our schools unless they are in the possession of law enforcement,' Stein said in the statement. Some Democrats in the House and Senate voted for the bill originally, meaning a veto override is on the table. The fight over guns was the focus of a previous bill Stein vetoed a few weeks ago that would allow adults to carry concealed weapons without a permit. That bill faces an uphill battle to becoming law after a handful of Republicans voted against the measure, making the chances of a veto override fairly slim. GOP state legislators have continued to carve out further gun access over the past few years. In 2023, Republican lawmakers overrode former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto and put into law the elimination of the pistol purchase permit system that mandated character evaluations and criminal history checks for applicants. The other two bills Stein vetoed Wednesday also received some Democratic votes and thus could be overridden if such support holds. One of the bills would create an expedited removal process for homeowners and landlords to remove people unauthorized to live on their property. Stein said he was unhappy with a last-minute addition that would prevent local governments from enforcing their own prohibitions on pet shop animal sales and additional licensing beyond statewide rules. The other bill would bar public agencies from collecting or releasing certain personal information about donors to 501(c) nonprofits. The governor signed nine bills into law Wednesday. Two were omnibus criminal justice and public safety measures, raising penalties on many crimes or creating new criminal counts. Another was designed to help active-duty military and veterans with reduced government fees and improved access to higher education. ___ Associated Press writer Gary D. Robertson contributed to this report.