RALEIGH, N.C. -- As a new administration began its work, faith leaders said there is opportunity for religious communities to tamper down on extremism and work toward peace and unity.

Many supporters at the Capitol insurrection appeared to be fueled by religious fervor, displaying signs with Christian imagery.

Some were participants in the Jericho March, a gathering of Christians rallying for election integrity, and some shouted slogans that appeared to equate former president Donald Trump with Jesus.

Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, executive director of the North Carolina Council of Churches, explained extremist views of Christianity have existed since the country's founding.

But she noted there have always been Christians who have fought for democracy and social justice.

"There were always Christians who stood up in the face of demagogues, and we're going to make a difference the same way we always have," Copeland maintained. "We're going to be faithful to the call of scripture to love God and love neighbor."

In a series of tweets yesterday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper congratulated President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The governor also thanked the 300 North Carolina National Guard members who assisted with inauguration security.

Rabbi Fred Guttman of Temple Emanuel in Greensboro said North Carolinians of all faiths feel more compelled to work toward promoting bipartisan healing in the post-Trump era.

"In terms of trying to combat all sorts of hatred, bias, bigotry and racism, as well as anti-Semitism, and coming together to reaffirm our commitment to justice, love, compassion and peace," Guttman explained.

A poll by the Anti-Defamation League found 53% of Americans say Trump holds significant responsibility for the violence at the Capitol.

Copeland added a majority of Christian leaders were appalled by the insurrection.

"If people are faithful to the call of God, to love God and love neighbor, then you're going to have good neighbors," Copeland described. "Did you see anybody that was in this rioting crowd of people who stormed the Capitol who had any real concern for their neighbors?"

According to a Pew poll conducted earlier this month, 64% of voters expressed a positive opinion of Biden's conduct since the November election. Trump exited office with an approval rating of 29%, and negative ratings of his conduct after the Capitol Hill riots.


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The world's richest 1% took home almost twice as much wealth as the bottom 99% combined during the pandemic, according to a new Oxfam International report.

Morris Pearl, chair of the group Patriotic Millionaires, said current tax codes are not cutting it anymore. The rich keep getting richer while people who work for a living are making daily sacrifices on essentials such as food, which is not good for families, or for investors who want to make money.

"Because money does not trickle down, money trickles up," Pearl pointed out. "As people pay their bills, for their iPhone and their rent every single month, that is how rich people make money and get richer. And if people don't have enough money to do that, that's not good for any of us."

The report said a 5% tax on the world's multimillionaires could raise enough money to lift 2 billion people out of poverty. Wyoming tax codes are pointed in the opposite direction. The state does not tax corporate or individual income. Wyoming has a higher sales tax, which falls hardest on low-wage earners, than at least forty other states. And only eleven states collect lower property taxes.

While families in Wyoming struggled with rising gas and grocery prices, the report found profits for 95 top energy and food corporations more than doubled in 2022, with 84% of those gains going directly into the pockets of wealthy shareholders.

Pearl argued people who earn their living by working for wages, with taxes taken right out of their paychecks, have been left behind.

"The system is rigged against them, and we have to unrig the system," Pearl stressed. "We have to change the system so they are not holding the bag for everything that the government needs to do. And we need to make the rich pay some of the taxes too."

Three-quarters of the world's governments plan on making nearly 8 trillion dollars in cuts to public-sector funding, including health care and education, over the next five years.

Pearl noted taxes make it possible to provide for the nation's common defense, hire firefighters and police, and build schools, hospitals and highways.

"And things like that have, for the history of this nation, been done by people putting their resources together, and doing things together that they just can't each do individually by themselves," Pearl added.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and Iowa is working to address the problem by educating businesses about the potential signs and dangers.

Although officials say it is hard to pinpoint exact numbers, the frequency of reported trafficking cases is on the rise. Half of the calls to a human trafficking hotline are reports from minors asking for help.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has enlisted businesses in an aggressive awareness campaign. He said because they come into contact with so many people every day, they can often be the first line of defense.

"They have eyes and ears everywhere," said Pate. "The idea that they can reach out to their own employees - so they, too, can be watching for trafficking and they, too, can help prevent it, or intervene - or whether it be their customer base, how many people a typical business might interact with in a day."

Pate said fast-food restaurants, gas stations and truck stops are especially important partners because they're so busy.

Iowa started the new year with 600 businesses as part of the coalition to combat trafficking, and Pate said he hopes to grow that number.

Pate's office also runs a confidential program for survivors of sex trafficking, domestic violence, assault and stalking.

Teresa Davidson, CEO of the Cedar Rapids-based anti-trafficking group Chains Interrupted, said when a person is recruited into a trafficking operation, it can be very hard for them to get out.

"First, they have to recognize that they are being exploited," said Davidson, "because so many times, human trafficking is manipulation and coercion, and they don't even realize that they're a victim. They think that they're in a relationship and that this is a partnership."

The group is having a webinar for businesses January 17 at 10 a.m.

Davidson says nationally, 74% of trafficking victims report having been in the foster-care system. She said the problem touches all 50 states and continues to grow.

Some Nebraska judges are failing to follow state laws related to cash bail, court fees and court fines, according to a two-year study in Douglas and Lancaster counties.

The report by the ACLU of Nebraska found defendants are not always being asked about their ability to pay bail and court costs, nor are they being informed of alternatives if lacking the funds.

Sam Petto, communications director for the ACLU of Nebraska, said they noticed issues in about 40% of the cases they observed. He pointed out cash bail disproportionately affects lower-income Nebraskans and is, ultimately, a type of "debtor's prison."

"So, if you imagine someone with the exact same circumstance, charge, etc., and they just have an extra thousand dollars in a bank account, that person might be back out in the community at their job, with the support structure they need - while the other person sits in jail."

Petto also mentioned the "collateral consequences" when someone who can't afford to pay bail or fees spends time behind bars from losing a job, to not being able to arrange child care or fulfill caregiving responsibilities. The report recommendations include "bench cards" for judges, with specifics related to bail and fees, and legislative action including eliminating cash bail.

Petto noted the 2017 Nebraska bail reform law was aimed at keeping people charged with nonviolent crimes from spending time in jail due to their inability to pay for bail and fines.

"And many Nebraskans do not know that they have the right to say, 'Hey, I can't afford that,' or to request things like a payment plan, community service, or having the judge entirely waive that fee or fine," Petto outlined.

The study also found the largest number of people in jail in Douglas and Lancaster counties were there on a pretrial basis, with persons of color significantly overrepresented. Petto explained in addition to the human cost, the current system plays a large role in the overstressed status of Nebraska jails.