ATLiens have continuously placed themselves at the forefront of the bass music landscape. And the masked, outer-worldly duo are continuing that reputation with the release of their long-awaited debut album, LEAVING THE WORLD BEHIND. Preceded by “BLACK SHEEP” featuring GG Magree, “IMY” with Dion Timmer and “BE YOUR GHOST” featuring Roniit, ATLiens’ album previews had listeners rightfully excited about the full body of work, with its complete arrival boasting a diverse array of styles and soundscapes, showcasing their versatility across 13 tracks.
The Atlanta-based duo have made a name for themselves over the years behind the strength of tracks like 2019’s “Fading Out” with Sara Skinner and 2017’s “Alchemy” to name just a couple. They’ve been supported by the likes of Skrillex, Zeds Dead, RL Grime and more. And even with all these triumphs, they had yet to put out a full body of work under the ATLiens moniker. Now, that all changes with the release of their debut album.
LEAVING THE WORLD BEHIND will be coupled with a 20+ date headline tour of the same name. It features stops at the San Jose Civic Center, the Armory in Minneapolis, Roxy in Atlanta and the Torch at the Coliseum in Los Angeles among others. Tickets can be purchased here.
Listen to ‘Leaving The World Behind’ in full below.
What are some of the most inspirational quotes about life? Well, that depends on what kind of inspiration you’re looking for.
Life quotes range across the human condition, from suffering to possibility, hope to sacrifice, love to loss. The best quotes about life are often those that contain truth, motivation, and insight to some concept that, at that moment in your life, seems poignant, useful, and just the bit of wisdom you needed.
50 Quotes To Inspire
“You mustn’t wish for another life. You mustn’t want to be somebody else. What you must do is this: Rejoice evermore.” –Wendell Berry
“Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don’t be sorry.” –Jack Kerouac
“Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another.” –Carl Sagan
“A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.” –Kurt Vonnegut
“Self-improvement is delayed by the establishment of social regulation of education, by the diffusion of true knowledge, and by the improvement of mental faculties.” –Nietzsche
“Every act of perception, is to some degree an act of creation, and every act of memory is to some degree an act of imagination.” –Oliver Sacks
“Men must not only know, they must act.” –W.E.B. Du Bois
“You do not find the happy life. You make it.” –Camilla Eyring Kimball
‘Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” –William James
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” –Winston Churchill
“Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.” –Helen Keller
“Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” –Henry David Thoreau
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” –Barack Obama
“Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.” –Ray Kroc
“True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.” –Kurt Vonnegut
“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” –John F. Kennedy
“Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.” –Robert Frost
“Live for yourself and you will live in vain; Live for others, and you will live again.” –Bob Marley
“The mind is everything. What you think you become.”–Buddha
“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time….” –Jack Kerouac
“Defeat is not bitter unless you swallow it.”–Joe Clark
“Whoever loves much, performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.” – Vincent Van Gogh
“The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.” –Arthur C. Clarke
“Be happy not because everything is good, but because you can see the good side of everything.” –Unknown
“The will must be stronger than the skill.” –Muhammad Ali
“One of the happiest moments in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you can’t change.” –Unknown
“Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle. Love is a war. Love is growing up.” –James Baldwin
“Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.” — Carlos Castaneda
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” Henry David Thoreau
“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” — Helen Keller
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.” — Dr. Seuss
“A sad soul can kill quicker than a germ.” –John Steinbeck
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside while still alive.” –Tupac Shakur
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” –Marcus Aurelius
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs
“Follow your inner moonlight; don’t hide the madness.” –Allen Ginsberg
“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” — Seth Godin
“Ever’thing there is but lovin’ leaves a rust on yo’ soul.” –Langston Hughes
“The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.” — Lily Tomlin
“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” — H. Jackson Brown Jr.
“Someone once told me that ‘time’ is a predator that stalks us all our lives. But I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment because it will never come again.” — Jean-Luc Picard
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” — Charles Darwin
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas Edison
“If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it.” –Oliver Sacks
“You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”–Henry Ford
“Do or do not. There is no try.” — Yoda
“Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it.” — Chinese Proverb
“Self-improvement is delayed by the establishment of social regulation of education, by the diffusion of true knowledge, and by the improvement of mental faculties.” –Nietzsche
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This crock pot crack potato soup is the best and easiest soup you will ever make! It’s loaded with creamy cheese, potatoes, hearty chicken, and savory bacon, all seasoned to perfection! Your family will love smelling this cooking when they get home from school! They will like how it tastes even better!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
Incredible Flavor: This soup is the ultimate comfort food! It’s seasoned with ranch mix, which perfectly complements potatoes and bacon. It’s perfectly served with my one-hour rolls or homemade cornbread.
Make Ahead: You can make this at the beginning of the week and have dinner to heat up quickly on a busy weeknight or for quick hearty lunches.
Easy to Make: All you need to do is throw the ingredients into your crock pot. Let it cook all day, and you will have dinner ready when you get home!
Ingredients for Crock Pot Potato Soup
The ingredients needed for this recipe are pre-made, making your life as easy as possible! For exact measurements, scroll to the bottom of the post.
Cooked Bacon: Adds the best savory, salty flavor that goes so well with potatoes and ranch dressing mix.
Frozen Diced Potatoes: Use these frozen hash browns to make your life easier.
Chicken Broth: Provides a flavorful liquid base for the soup.
BlackPepper: Enhances the flavors and gives a hint of heat.
Onion Powder: Adds a nice savory onion flavor without using real onions.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Using sharp cheddar gives the soup a bold cheesy flavor and creamy texture.
Half and Half: Adds a smooth consistency and creamy flavor.
Green Onion: The perfect garnish to enhance the ingredients in this soup.
How to Make Crockpot Potato Soup Recipe
This crack potato soup recipe couldn’t be easier! Simply dump the ingredients into the crock pot, set the heat, and let it do all the work! Follow the easy steps below to have dinner waiting for you!
Add Ingredients to Slow Cooker: Combine the frozen potatoes, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, cream cheese, Ranch dressing mix, pepper, onion powder, and 1 cup cooked bacon pieces in a 6-quart slow cooker.
Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
Stir: Fifteen minutes before serving, open the lid and stir the soup to incorporate the cream cheese into the soup. Then, stir in the half and half and shredded cheese. Put the lid back on and warm until melted.
Serve: Garnish with chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and additional ¼ cup bacon pieces, if desired.
Crack Potato Soup Tips and Variations
Frozen Potatoes: I love the convenience of using frozen potatoes in this soup recipe! I prefer the frozen diced potatoes because of the texture they add to the soup! Feel free to use frozen shredded hashbrowns if you would like.
Chicken Broth: The potatoes absorb a lot of the chicken broth. If you prefer a thinner soup, add a splash of chicken broth!
Half and Half Substitute: Instead of half and half, any kind of milk will work! You can also use heavy cream if you want a rich, thick soup!
How to Store Crock Pot Potato Soup
This crock pot crack potato soup makes fantastic leftovers! You can even double the batch and freeze some for a later day!
In the Refrigerator: Once your soup has cooled, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last about 3-4 days.
In the Freezer: You can make this potato soup ahead of time and freeze it for later! Once it has cooled, then you can place it in a ziplock bag and lay it flat. It will last for about three months!
To Reheat: If you are reheating from frozen, then take the soup out the night before and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. You can reheat it on your stove or in the crock pot until it is warmed through. Add a splash of chicken broth or milk to add moisture to the soup if needed. The potatoes absorb a lot of the liquid when it is stored, so it’s normal to need more liquid to reheat it.
More Crock Pot Soup Recipes
I love cozying up to a warm bowl of soup on a crisp fall evening. It’s even better if I can enjoy my soup without having worked in the kitchen all day! These crock pot soup recipes will perfectly warm you up on a fall day with minimal effort on your part!
Combine the frozen potatoes, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, cream cheese, Ranch dressing mix, pepper, onion powder, and 1 cup cooked bacon pieces in a 6-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
15 minutes before serving, stir the soup to incorporate the cream cheese into the soup. Pour in the half and half and shredded cheese. Cover and warm until melted.
Garnish with chopped green onion, shredded cheddar cheese, and additional ¼ cup bacon pieces, if desired.
In the next few days, those who have completed all coursework for the Master of Arts in American History and Government (MAHG) program may begin writing their qualifying exams, so as to graduate with their degrees this December. The next iteration of the exam, which is offered three times a year, will be released on Friday, October 18.
For most teachers, the end of MAHG coursework brings a mixture of pride, relief, and wistfulness. Online coursework during the school year entailed many afterwork hours reading the assigned primary documents. Yet discussing these documents in the interactive online class sessions energized their teaching practice. Many speak of bringing into their classrooms excerpts of the primary documents they discussed in seminars the night before. “Everything I learned in the program has proved immediately useful to my teaching,” they often say.
Still, the final hurdle between coursework and the degree presents a new challenge. Teachers have three options: they may write a traditional master’s thesis, complete a capstone project, or take the qualifying exam. For those students—the majority—who choose the qualifying exam, we offer in this blog a preview of the exam’s structure and advice on how to perform well on it.
The Structure of the Exam
The exam is always released to students on a Friday, and students are allowed a little over two weeks to submit their final answers. It is an essay exam with two parts:
The first part asks students to analyze a short text.
The second part consists of four questions on a variety of topics, eras, or themes in American history and government. Students answer two of these questions.
The links above take you to sample exam questions, with successful responses, for both parts of the exam. You’ll see that both questions contain document excerpts that you are asked to analyze. To do well on the exam, you must understand that Part I is asking for a different, more focused, kind of document analysis than Part II is asking for.
How to Succeed on Part I
In the first part of the exam, all that is required is that you give an accurate and thorough account of the argumentin the document. What program of action, view of a policy question, analysis of a social issue, or other claim is the author presenting? How does the author make his or her case? Focus on the steps in the author’s argument. Don’t try to explain the historical situation that caused the author to write. Don’t try to recount other arguments being made by other authors writing at the same time.
When teachers fail on this part of the exam, it is usually because they have tried to write about the historical context of the document and forgotten to provide this basic analysis. What you need to do is to walk the person reading your exam through what the document actually says. The prompt for Part I will ask specific questions that should guide you in your analysis.
How to Succeed on Part II
The questions on the second part of the exam vary. One question may present you with a single document excerpt, asking you to relate it to a larger issue in history or government. Another may present you with two document excerpts, asking you to compare and contrast them as you discuss the larger issue. In either case, your analysis should be broader than in Part I of the exam. Since your aim here is to comment on a topic or theme in American history or government, you will need to place the document excerpts into their historical contexts. You should explain:
the purpose the document was written to serve;
the document’s intended audience;
the overall message of the document.
Then you might answer other questions:
What effect did the document have on its intended audience?
Did it achieve its author’s purpose?
Above all, be sure to do what you always tell your own students to do: Answer the question asked in the prompt!
Remember also that when we read primary sources, we try to understand their authors as they understood themselves. Their writings may not persuade us as we read them today. Even at the time they wrote, their writings may not have persuaded everyone. While you may mention these effects of the documents, be sure to explain what the authors hopedto accomplish.
Strategies for Success
Sometimes teachers run out of time to complete their essays. We encourage you to take full advantage of all three weekends between the release of the exam and its submission deadline. Start right away to give yourself time to proofread, revise, and edit.
Save your notes from class! If you’re not a pack rat and can’t save them all, consider saving notes from the core or required courses in our program (501, 502, 503, 505, 506, and 507). All of the qualifying exam questions are drawn from issues you discussed while taking the core courses. These courses lay an excellent foundation for a deep understanding of the history and government of America.
Take breaks in your writing; rest and revisit it later. It may feel like you don’t have time for this, but you’ll benefit from looking back over your work with a fresh set of eyes. If you start writing that first weekend after the exam is sent to you, you’ll have a chance to try out your first ideas. Later, after you’ve had time to reflect more on the document excerpts and what you’d like to say about them, you might decide to rewrite what you wrote before. You might open with a new thesis statement. Or you may want to add more analysis, give more examples of the points you want to make, or rewrite sentences that are not clear.
Get feedback from the friends you’ve made in the program. We always encourage our students to form study groups for their classes on campus, so as you work on the exam, continue to make use of the connections you’ve made. Someone familiar with our classes will help you see if you’ve strayed into irrelevance in your answer.
It can also be helpful to ask people with no knowledge of the topic to proofread your essay for you. English teachers you work with can offer valuable feedback on the coherence of your answers without getting lost in the technicalities of the content. Additional sets of eyes reading back through what you wrote will help you know whether you’ve fully addressed the prompt and thoroughly analyzed the document.
Take Pride in the Process!
The Qualifying Exam may seem intimidating, but it’s a rewarding way to finish your studies. It will remind you how much you learned over the years in our program. You’ll leave with a magnified sense of the pride you felt after finishing each course. You may push your brain to its limits, but you will synthesize much of what you’ve learned about the recurrent challenges of life in our self-governing nation.
It’s finally the season for all things pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes, and more are everywhere this time of year. Some of us love it and some of us hate it… but I’m totally in the love it camp! This made-from-scratch pumpkin soup recipe is a quick, filling, veggie-packed fall meal.
Bonus… in a pinch, I can make this soup entirely from ingredients in my pantry! Pumpkin soup has all of the flavors of fall in a bowl.
Healthy Pumpkin Soup
I’m not sure pumpkin soup could be unhealthy, since pumpkin itself is loaded with fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. Add nourishing bone broth and you have all of the gut-healing benefits of gelatin as well.
This pumpkin soup recipe has just the right savory/sweet balance from the fresh onion, apple, and sage. On a busy night when I didn’t have fresh ingredients on hand, substituting a teaspoon of onion powder and a cup of applesauce worked just fine!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pumpkin doesn’t have much flavor on its own, so it needs some more spices to make it come alive. Along with the fruit and veggies I use garlic and sage. Other popular ingredients are aromatics like fresh ginger, cumin, and coriander. If you want more of a spicy kick, then add a little cayenne pepper to your soup. Or for a touch of added sweetness, try a splash of maple syrup.
This soup is also great to make ahead of time and reheat. The flavors taste even better the next day after they’ve had time to meld.
I usually use homemade chicken broth here, but when I’m in a hurry Kettle and Fire low-sodium chicken broth is another good option. You may need to add a little more salt to the final soup for the best flavor. And if you’re out of chicken broth, vegetable broth also works.
The Best Kind of Pumpkin to Use
The first time I made this soup I used fresh pumpkin from the farmers market. Even though it was extra work it made an incredibly delicious soup. The kids and I made roasted pumpkin seeds with the leftovers!
Jack-o-Lantern pumpkins are not recommended for this recipe. Instead, look for pumpkins labeled “sugar pumpkin” or “pie pumpkin.” I find pumpkins on the smaller side (around 4 pounds or less) are usually sweeter. If you’re not used to baking with fresh pumpkin, this post explains the easiest way to do it.
And if you’re in a hurry, then canned pumpkin puree works too (though it’s not as flavorful). Add chicken broth, some spices, and a swirl of coconut cream and voilá… pumpkin soup!
Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
This easy pumpkin soup is yummy, super easy to make, and kid-approved! Serve with a salad or leftovers for a fast meal.
Peel, seed, and dice the pumpkin into 1-inch cubes.
In a large stockpot, heat the olive or coconut oil over medium heat.
Saute the fresh pumpkin, onion, minced garlic cloves, carrot, and apple in a Dutch oven or large pot for 5 minutes or until tender. If using canned pumpkin puree, reserve pumpkin until step #5 when adding broth.
Add the salt, sage, and teaspoon ground pepper. Add the garlic powder if not using minced garlic cloves.
Pour in the chicken stock or broth and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the pumpkin is fork-tender.
Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. You can also use a regular blender, working in batches.
Top with cream and freshly chopped parsley if desired and serve.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat as needed.
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 251 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 34mg11%
Sodium 353mg15%
Potassium 684mg20%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 37179IU744%
Vitamin C 15mg18%
Calcium 97mg10%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
You can also use canned full-fat coconut milk if you don’t have coconut cream.
Other Comforting Fall Soups & Recipes to Try:
Have you ever had pumpkin soup? Will you try this recipe? Leave a comment and let us know!
FHA mortgages offer an excellent opportunity to buy a home due to their low down payment and lenient credit score criteria. However, they are designated for owner-occupants, not landlords. You must live in a property for one year before renting it out to earn an income.
Fortunately, there are workarounds to this.
The Great Debate: Can I Short-Term-Rent My FHA-Mortgaged Primary Residence?
There is a lot of contention about whether FHA-mortgaged residences can be used to house short-term rental guests in spare bedrooms for under 30 days. This BiggerPockets forum discussionlands heavily on being able to STR your FHA-mortgaged home.
However, FHA.com (not a government- or HUD-affiliated website) states that rentals in FHA homes can only be for 30 days or more, meaning you can only rent out your FHA-mortgaged home on a mid-term basis. Anything under 30 days is considered “transient” use and prohibited.
Important Things to Consider When Mid-Term-Renting Your FHA-Mortgaged Home
Mid-term renting a home you currently live in is the same as having a roommate. Whether your “guest” chooses to stay for one month or 12, unless you have a completely separate living area and kitchen/bathroom, you will have to get comfortable sharing your living space.
Many homeowners purchased their personal residences to get away from exactly that type of scenario. However, with the country in the grip of an affordability crisis, taking on a mid-term rental in your property could not only help you get a handle on your finances but could also be a vehicle to save money to jump-start your investing career.
You only need to live in your FHA home for a year before being able to legally use it as a rental before moving on to another primary residence, which you could, again, buy using FHA financing (so long as you refinance the first home out of an FHA mortgage) and thus repeat the process.
If you have to relocate (for work, for example), you may still be able to rent out your FHA-mortgaged home without refinancing. Many use this strategy to build a portfolio of solid single-family homes in decent neighborhoods by taking advantage of FHA’s low down payment guidelines.
Small Multifamily Buildings and FHA Mortgages
One of the best uses of an FHA mortgage for a real estate investor is buying two-to-four-family buildings. You can rent out the rest as long as you live in one unit. You are still eligible for a low down payment, less-than-perfect credit, and everything else associated with an FHA mortgage.
The additional benefit of buying a small multifamily home is the extra rental income, which might cover your entire mortgage, as well as the tax benefits of owning investment properties. Many investors have used this strategy to get immediate liftoff with their investing careers, refinancing the home to a regular mortgage as they rinse and repeat the process with other small multifamily units.
Flipping an FHA-Mortgaged Home
If you are prepared to live in a home you are renovating, FHA-mortgaged homes, in conjunction with a 203(k) renovation loan, offer a great way to buy a flip a home with a low down payment and a much lower cost of financing your renovation than with hard money. Your contractor will be paid in draws by your lender once each part of the renovation has been completed—according to the satisfaction of a 203(k) consultant.
As with usual FHA guidelines, you must live in the home for a year before renting or selling it (two-to-four-unit dwellings can be rented immediately). To make your flip even sweeter, live in the home for two years and forgo paying capital gains taxes (as part of the IRS’ exclusion gain program) on $250,000 of profit if you are single and $500,000 if you are a couple. This is particularly advantageous with costlier homes at the limits of FHA lending guidelines or homes in quickly appreciating neighborhoods.
Remember, you can incorporate this strategy while owning and renting non-FHA mortgaged properties.
Getting a Second FHA Loan
Generally, you are only allowed one FHA loan at a time, as they are intended for primary residence use only. However, there are occasions when you can get a second FHA loan in addition to the one for your primary residence.
Relocation
If you have to relocate due to a job opportunity that is beyond the commuting distance from your primary residence, a bank may allow you to get a second FHA loan. It will not be long-term, but with the understanding that you will sell/refinance out of your FHA on your primary residence.
Your family has outgrown your primary residence
If your space is too small for your growing family’s needs, you may be eligible for a second FHA loan. To qualify, you must show 25% equity in your home or pay down the FHA’s loan balance to 75%.
Co-signing another FHA loan
There are instances where you might be able to become the co-signer on a family member’s FHA loan while also having an FHA loan on your primary residence. In this instance, you would be liable for both loans should your co-signer fail to make their mortgage payments.
Divorce
Divorces are rarely pleasant, but sometimes they can have a silver lining. If you are leaving a house you share with a co-borrower on an FHA loan and your ex-spouse is staying in the former marital home, your slate gets wiped clean when it comes to applying for another FHA mortgage. You must be able to document the divorce with your new lender with a divorce decree or separation agreement.
You’re investing in a HUD REO
If you intend to buy a property that the FHA has foreclosed on (a HUD REO), you may be granted a second FHA loan, as the FHA is keen to get these properties off its books.
Final Thoughts
High prices and interest rates mean investors must be creative to make money. While FHA loans are not usually considered investment vehicles, they can be a great launchpad for real estate investing.
Whether you choose to mid-term-rent out your FHA home to save for another investment or are looking for a low-interest rehab loan and the chance to save big on capital gains taxes, there are government programs that you can utilize to help you invest. Think outside the box and look for opportunities under your nose.
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Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.
(RNS) — A former professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary pleaded guilty Wednesday (Oct. 16) to lying to the FBI and creating false documents during an investigation into sexual abuse.
Matt Queen, the pastor of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, had pleaded not guilty earlier this year when charged with obstruction of justice for actions taken when he was a professor and interim provost at Southwestern, a Southern Baptist Convention school in Texas.
As part of an investigation into the SBC and its entities, federal officials have been looking into alleged sexual abuse that occurred in 2022 at the seminary. School officials were required to turn over any documents related to abuse to the Department of Justice.
However, an unnamed seminary official, known as “Employee-2,” allegedly ordered that a report on the 2022 abuse case — which detailed that the seminary had known about the alleged abuse but failed to take action on it — be destroyed. According to federal officials, Queen heard Employee-2 order “Employee-1,” the staffer who wrote the report, to destroy it and then allegedly lied to federal officials about it. Queen was also accused of creating fake notes about the conversation surrounding the report.
Queen’s story changed under oath.
“On or about June 21, 2023, MATTHEW QUEEN, the defendant, testified under oath that on January 26, 2023, he had in fact heard Employee-2 instruct Employee-I to make the Document ‘go away,’” according to a court filing.
On Wednesday, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York filed court documents charging Queen with falsification of records and providing false information to law enforcement. Queen changed his plea as part of an arrangement with federal officials.
Pastor Matt Queen preaches at Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C., May 5, 2024. (Video screen grab)
“I understand that if my plea is accepted, my sentencing will take place before the United States District Judge who is assigned, or who is to be assigned,” Queen said in a court filing.
A trial on the earlier charges had been scheduled for November.
The Tennessean newspaper reported that Queen could face up to five years in prison on the charges but will likely face a lesser sentence. Queen’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“He has always acknowledged that he lied. He regrets it and wish that never happened,” Sam Schmidt, Queen’s attorney, told the Tennessean.
Sentencing is currently set for February.
Since 2022, the Department of Justice has been investigating the SBC and its entities, in response to the Guidepost report that year, which found SBC had long mistreated abuse survivors and downplayed the issue of abuse in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
But aside from the charges filed against Queen, few details about the investigation have been made public. SBC admitted the investigation — along with other lawsuits filed in the wake of the Guidepost report — has led to a fiscal crisis for the SBC’s Nashville-based Executive Committee. That committee recently announced plans to put its office building on the market in part because of its strained finances.
The identity of the seminary official who ordered the report destroyed has not been made public. However, Terri Stovall, the seminary’s dean of women, has come forward as the person who wrote the initial report on the 2022 abuse case. Stovall, according to school officials, refused to destroy the report.
“I am grateful for the diligence of the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York for holding Queen accountable for his criminal actions while serving as interim provost at Southwestern,” Stovall said in a statement. “My hope is that the full truth and extent of his actions — and the actions of others who are no longer employed at Southwestern — will one day come to light.”
Southwestern officials said Wednesday they will continue to cooperate with the DOJ investigation.
“We pray for victims of sexual abuse. Southwestern Seminary remains committed to doing everything possible to protect all members of the seminary community from sexual abuse and harassment,” the seminary said in a statement. “Our prayers continue for Matt Queen and his family, as well as for others who have been involved in this process.”
After he was charged this past spring, Queen was placed on leave by Friendly Avenue Baptist Church. Church leaders are currently working on a response to his guilty plea, according to a statement on the congregation’s Facebook page.
“We stand firmly against any behavior that undermines trust and integrity,” the church said in its statement, which noted that Queen, who has been on leave since May, had admitted to a “serious crime.”
“Our church leadership is reviewing these recent developments as it works to complete its investigation and submit a recommendation to the church membership concerning Dr. Queen’s status and relationship with Friendly Avenue Baptist Church, all in accordance with the church’s governing documents.”
This illustration of a human brain was generated by DALL-E, a generative AI program, in late 2023. Although it bears many superficial resemblances to a human brain, it lacks many of the brain’s defining structures and presents a fundamentally unrealistic pattern of neurons, glial cells, and folding properties. However, it was by considering the brain that artificial neural networks, the backbone of generative AI, was first developed. (Credit: DALL·E)
Artificial intelligence is much more than image generation and smart-sounding chatbots; it’s also a Nobel-worthy endeavor rooted in physics!
When most of us think of AI, we think of chatbots like ChatGPT, of image generators like DALL-E, or of scientific applications like AlphaFold for predicting protein folding structures. Very few of us, however, think about physics as being at the core of artificial intelligence systems. But the notion of an artificial neural network indeed came to fruition first as the result of physics studies across three disciplines — biophysics, statistical physics, and computational physics — all fused together. It’s because of this seminal work, undertaken largely in the 1980s, that the widespread uses of artificial intelligence and machine learning that permeate more and more of daily life are available to us today.
The core of AI’s capabilities are rooted in the ability to recognize patterns within data, even incomplete or corrupted data. Our brains seem to do this automatically, but AI is capable of far surpassing, even in a generalized form, what even specialized and expertise-possessing humans cannot. Today, AI has scientific applications where it outstrips humans ranging from astronomy to medicine to…
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