Saturday, September 05, 2026
Friday, September 04, 2026
JD Vance: Antichrist may be walking among us
Vice-president tells evangelical YouTuber he ‘wouldn’t be shocked’ if world was living through ‘end times’
Published 03 September 2026 12:34pm BST
JD Vance has claimed that the antichrist may be “walking among us”, and said the world may be living through the “end times”.
The US vice-president made the comments during a podcast interview with Bryce Crawford, 22, an evangelical Christian with more than a million YouTube followers.
While promoting his new book Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, Mr Vance said he was “trying to focus on doing as much of God’s work as possible”.
He said: “Do I think that we’re in the end times? I don’t know. I think that it’s probably bad for me spiritually to focus too much on it. There are things about the world that make me feel not shocked if the antichrist was walking among us.
“I tend to think that while I wouldn’t be shocked if we are living in the end times, what I’m trying to focus on is doing as much of God’s work as possible right now, and that if that leads to the end times, OK.”
JD Vance, the US vice-president, says he is ‘focused on trying to do God’s work’ Credit: Getty Images / Saul Loeb
Show biography
Published 03 September 2026 12:34pm BST
JD Vance has claimed that the antichrist may be “walking among us”, and said the world may be living through the “end times”.
The US vice-president made the comments during a podcast interview with Bryce Crawford, 22, an evangelical Christian with more than a million YouTube followers.
While promoting his new book Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, Mr Vance said he was “trying to focus on doing as much of God’s work as possible”.
He said: “Do I think that we’re in the end times? I don’t know. I think that it’s probably bad for me spiritually to focus too much on it. There are things about the world that make me feel not shocked if the antichrist was walking among us.
“I tend to think that while I wouldn’t be shocked if we are living in the end times, what I’m trying to focus on is doing as much of God’s work as possible right now, and that if that leads to the end times, OK.”
The vice-president was speaking to evangelical Christian and YouTube star Bryce Crawford, 22 Credit: YouTube
Literal readings of the “end times” hold that an antichrist will rise to power, turn against God and persecute believers before Jesus returns.
Asked another question on the “end times”, Mr Vance described a friend whose wife had turned to an AI chatbot for counselling, only to realise it agreed with everything she wrote.
Literal readings of the “end times” hold that an antichrist will rise to power, turn against God and persecute believers before Jesus returns.
Asked another question on the “end times”, Mr Vance described a friend whose wife had turned to an AI chatbot for counselling, only to realise it agreed with everything she wrote.
JD Vance Felt "Darkness" From These World Leaders
Bryce Crawford Podcast
Aug 31, 2026
00:02:41 Does Top Secret Access Convince You the Spiritual World Is Real?
00:05:36 "I've Been in Meetings With World Leaders and Felt Darkness"
00:08:07 Was God's Hand in the Butler Assassination Attempt?
00:10:09 What Would America Look Like if the Shooter Succeeded?
00:13:40 How the VP and Trump Process Near-Death: Process and Move On
00:18:00 Why Do Young Christians Walk Away From Their Faith?
00:24:50 How Vance Went From Devout to Atheist After His Grandmother Died
00:31:02 King David Was a Murderer - And God Still Used Him
00:36:00 The Peter Problem: He Saw Jesus Walk on Water and Still Denied Him
00:39:20 Vance's Temper, His Rough Childhood, and the Fight-or-Flight Instinct
00:43:11 On Building a Dynasty: Four Kids and What Really Matters Now
00:45:45 The Moment in a French Church That Brought Him Back to Faith
00:47:06 "How Confident Are You You're Going to Heaven?" - Vance Answers
00:51:52 Meeting Pope Francis on Easter - Then He Died the Next Day
00:56:37 What Does the Vice President Think About the End Times?
00:59:52 AI Burial Ceremonies, Dark Spiritual Energy, and the Antichrist
01:02:55 The Trump AI God Photo - Bryce Gets Honest About His Reaction
01:06:42 When the President Falls for AI Fake News (And So Does His Mom)
01:10:33 Closing Prayer
Mamdani gives 200 left-wing social media influencers access to City Hall encrypted group chat
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani arrives for a press conference at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park on April 27, 2026 in New York City.
(Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Lillian Mann
4:20 PM – Thursday, September 3, 2026
Democratic Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reportedly granted roughly 200 social media influencers special access to City Hall news and videos through Signal — a messaging app, according to a new report.
Signal includes a disappearing-messages setting that automatically deletes texts after a set time. Because it is unknown if Mayor Mamdani’s (D-N.Y.) group uses this feature, critics are questioning whether the administration is following city rules about keeping public records.
According to an August report from Columbia Journalism Review, influencers receive city information through an encrypted Signal chat named “NYC Creators Announcements.”
The Signal chat reportedly grew out of Creators4Zohran — a group that backed Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign, making him the first socialist mayor of United States’ most populous city.
When asked whether the use of Signal could potentially violate city laws, Mamdani insisted that his office will “strive to fully comply with all legal requirements.”
OAN Staff Lillian Mann
4:20 PM – Thursday, September 3, 2026
Democratic Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reportedly granted roughly 200 social media influencers special access to City Hall news and videos through Signal — a messaging app, according to a new report.
Signal includes a disappearing-messages setting that automatically deletes texts after a set time. Because it is unknown if Mayor Mamdani’s (D-N.Y.) group uses this feature, critics are questioning whether the administration is following city rules about keeping public records.
According to an August report from Columbia Journalism Review, influencers receive city information through an encrypted Signal chat named “NYC Creators Announcements.”
The Signal chat reportedly grew out of Creators4Zohran — a group that backed Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign, making him the first socialist mayor of United States’ most populous city.
When asked whether the use of Signal could potentially violate city laws, Mamdani insisted that his office will “strive to fully comply with all legal requirements.”
Middle East’s 2nd-largest economy deports nearly 15,000 people...
Middle East’s 2nd-largest economy deports nearly 15,000 people in one week as Ethiopians account for 58% of illegal border arrests
03 September 2026 07:08 PM
Saudi Arabia has deported 14,905 people following a week-long nationwide crackdown on residency, labour and border violations, with Ethiopians accounting for the largest share of those caught trying to enter the kingdom illegally.
Ethiopians constituted 58% of the 1,450 individuals caught trying to cross the border illegally, the largest share among nationalities.
Saudi Arabia deported 14,905 people after a week-long crackdown on residency, labour, and border violations.
Over 29,900 expatriates are currently undergoing enforcement procedures related to immigration and residency laws.
The government warned that those aiding illegal entry or stay could face severe penalties, including up to 15 years in prison and heavy fines.
The enforcement campaign, carried out between August 20 and August 26, led to the arrest of 14,434 people, according to the Ministry of Interior.
Of those detained, 6,976 were cited for residency violations, 4,110 for breaches of border security rules and 3,348 for labour violations, Gulf News reported.
Ethiopians account for 58% of border arrests
The figures are notable for Africa because Ethiopian nationals accounted for 58% of the 1,450 people arrested while attempting to cross into Saudi Arabia illegally. Yemenis made up 41%, while other nationalities accounted for the remaining 1%.
03 September 2026 07:08 PM
Saudi Arabia has deported 14,905 people following a week-long nationwide crackdown on residency, labour and border violations, with Ethiopians accounting for the largest share of those caught trying to enter the kingdom illegally.
Saudi Arabian ruler Mohammed bin Salman at a US-Saudi investment event in Washington DC, in November 2025. In December, Paramount said a Saudi-controlled fund would pitch in $10 billion towards its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Ethiopians constituted 58% of the 1,450 individuals caught trying to cross the border illegally, the largest share among nationalities.
Saudi Arabia deported 14,905 people after a week-long crackdown on residency, labour, and border violations.
Over 29,900 expatriates are currently undergoing enforcement procedures related to immigration and residency laws.
The government warned that those aiding illegal entry or stay could face severe penalties, including up to 15 years in prison and heavy fines.
The enforcement campaign, carried out between August 20 and August 26, led to the arrest of 14,434 people, according to the Ministry of Interior.
Of those detained, 6,976 were cited for residency violations, 4,110 for breaches of border security rules and 3,348 for labour violations, Gulf News reported.
Ethiopians account for 58% of border arrests
The figures are notable for Africa because Ethiopian nationals accounted for 58% of the 1,450 people arrested while attempting to cross into Saudi Arabia illegally. Yemenis made up 41%, while other nationalities accounted for the remaining 1%.
Women’s Ordination: By Whose Authority? | Marko Kolic
Women’s Ordination: By Whose Authority? | Marko Kolic
Profit From Prophets
Sep 3, 2026
Women’s ordination—by whose authority can the church ordain women to gospel ministry? Marko Kolic examines the women’s ordination debate, General Conference votes, and biblical qualifications for church leadership, asking whether Scripture or human decisions have the final say.
Thursday, September 03, 2026
How Frederick Douglass Escaped Slavery
Douglass looked back on September 3, 1838 as the day when his “free life began,” but he encountered several close calls during his journey to freedom.
Bettmann / Getty Images
Published: September 03, 2013 Last Updated: May 27, 2025
Never had Frederick Douglass been so nervous. The butterflies in his stomach fluttered with every bounce of the carriage over Baltimore’s cobblestone streets as he approached the Baltimore and Ohio railroad station. The enslaved man, then known by his birth name of Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, was embarking on a perilous journey with New York—and freedom—his intended destinations.
After Douglass’ attempt to escape slavery two years prior was betrayed by a fellow enslaved person, he had been jailed, sent to Baltimore by his master and hired out to work in the city’s shipyards. Undeterred, Douglass vowed to try to escape again on September 3, 1838, although he knew the risk. “I felt assured that if I failed in this attempt, my case would be a hopeless one,” he wrote in his autobiography. “It would seal my fate as a slave forever.”
Douglass disguised himself as a free Black sailor, a creditable ruse given the nautical knowledge he gained from working on the waterfront. He also knew that the deference shown to sailors in a seafaring city such as Baltimore could work to his benefit. He donned a red shirt and sailor’s hat and loosely knotted a black cravat around his neck. Into his pocket, Douglass stuffed a sailor’s protection pass, which he could present in lieu of the “free papers” that railroad officials required Black passengers to carry as proof they were not enslaved. Douglass had borrowed the document from a free African American seaman, but he bore little resemblance to the physical description detailed on the piece of paper. Close examination by a railroad official or any authority would reveal the subterfuge and imperil both Douglass and his friend.
To avoid the scrutinizing eyes of the ticket agent inside the station, Douglass waited and jumped on the moving train at the last moment as it began to puff its way north. Many minutes passed before the conductor finally entered the segregated passenger car bearing the train’s African-American riders. Although Douglass remained calm on the outside, his heart pounded as the conductor carefully inspected the passengers’ free papers. “My whole future depended upon the decision of this conductor,” he wrote.
Never had Frederick Douglass been so nervous. The butterflies in his stomach fluttered with every bounce of the carriage over Baltimore’s cobblestone streets as he approached the Baltimore and Ohio railroad station. The enslaved man, then known by his birth name of Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, was embarking on a perilous journey with New York—and freedom—his intended destinations.
After Douglass’ attempt to escape slavery two years prior was betrayed by a fellow enslaved person, he had been jailed, sent to Baltimore by his master and hired out to work in the city’s shipyards. Undeterred, Douglass vowed to try to escape again on September 3, 1838, although he knew the risk. “I felt assured that if I failed in this attempt, my case would be a hopeless one,” he wrote in his autobiography. “It would seal my fate as a slave forever.”
Douglass disguised himself as a free Black sailor, a creditable ruse given the nautical knowledge he gained from working on the waterfront. He also knew that the deference shown to sailors in a seafaring city such as Baltimore could work to his benefit. He donned a red shirt and sailor’s hat and loosely knotted a black cravat around his neck. Into his pocket, Douglass stuffed a sailor’s protection pass, which he could present in lieu of the “free papers” that railroad officials required Black passengers to carry as proof they were not enslaved. Douglass had borrowed the document from a free African American seaman, but he bore little resemblance to the physical description detailed on the piece of paper. Close examination by a railroad official or any authority would reveal the subterfuge and imperil both Douglass and his friend.
To avoid the scrutinizing eyes of the ticket agent inside the station, Douglass waited and jumped on the moving train at the last moment as it began to puff its way north. Many minutes passed before the conductor finally entered the segregated passenger car bearing the train’s African-American riders. Although Douglass remained calm on the outside, his heart pounded as the conductor carefully inspected the passengers’ free papers. “My whole future depended upon the decision of this conductor,” he wrote.
Illustrations depicting Frederick Douglass’s life from slavery to abolitionist.
Photo12/UIG/Getty Images
Mayor in Lusaka Zambia Wants to Copy Uganda's Cleaning Day on Sabbath
August 26, 2026 NewsHound
A new storm is brewing for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zambia as the newly elected Lusaka Mayor has called for the introduction of a mandatory Saturday cleaning day, urging the church to follow Uganda's model despite the recent resolution that allowed Adventists there to observe the Sabbath on Saturdays.
The mayor's proposal comes as a shock to church leaders, who are still watching the situation in Uganda unfold. In Uganda, Adventist members have been forced to start Sabbath School in their homes and only gather for main worship at 10:00 AM due to the government's National Cleaning Day being held on the last Saturday of every month.
In Uganda, the Seventh-day Adventist Church formally objected to the government's mandatory National Cleaning Days, citing that the programme, as communicated, interfered with the observance of the Seventh-day Sabbath. According to Scripture, the Sabbath is God's holy day, observed from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday, and is a time for worship, fellowship, and rest from ordinary labour.
After negotiations, the Ugandan government granted an exemption, allowing Adventists to participate in the cleaning exercise on Sundays instead. President Yoweri Museveni directed that SDA faithful undertake their cleaning activities on the last Sunday of every month in recognition of their Sabbath observance.
The proposal from the Lusaka Mayor has raised concerns among Adventist leaders in Zambia, who fear a repeat of the Ugandan conflict. The Church is now waiting to see how the two unions in Zambia will respond to what is seen as a direct threat to religious liberty.
In Zambia, the Adventist Church is a significant presence, with over 1.3 million members in more than 3,200 congregations. The Church has actively engaged in community clean-up efforts in the past, including a major city-wide cleaning exercise in Lusaka in 2024, but such initiatives have always been conducted without compromising the sanctity of the Sabbath.
The Church's position is clear: while Adventists support initiatives that promote a clean and healthy environment, they remain committed to the sanctity of the Seventh-day Sabbath as ordained by God.
CommentaryHakainde Hichilema, the president of Zambia is a baptized member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It will be interesting to see how he responds to this proposed cleaning mandate in Lusaka.
Uganda introduced mandatory National Cleaning Days on the last Saturday of every month (from 8AM to 11AM) to address public health crises caused by poor sanitation and waste management. It has been observed that 75% of the country's disease burden (such as malaria, typhoid, and diarrhea) stems from poor hygiene, endemic litter, and poor sanitation.
****
“Those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed” (1 Samuel 2:30).
Mom Seeks Supreme Court OK to Take Daughter to Church Against Dad’s Wishes
PUBLISHED SEP 02, 2026
By Jenni Fink Senior Editor
A Maine mother's court battle over whether she can take her daughter to church might be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court, setting up a potential clash between parental rights, religious liberty and the authority of family courts to restrict a child's religious activities during custody disputes.
Emily Bickford said a court order preventing her from bringing her daughter to church violates her constitutional rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. But Maine's highest court recently rejected those arguments, ruling that the restrictions were based on concerns about the child's well-being rather than hostility toward religion.
Following the ruling, Bickford's attorneys at Liberty Counsel announced plans to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case, arguing that the decision represents a serious threat to religious freedom and parental rights.
Who Is Emily Bickford?
Bickford is engaged in a years-long custody dispute with her former partner, Matthew Bradeen, over decisions involving their teenage daughter. The conflict eventually expanded beyond ordinary parenting disagreements and into questions about religion, medical decisions and parental authority.
At the center of the case is Calvary Chapel in Westbrook, Maine, where Bickford worships. A Maine district court issued a custody order in December 2024 that prohibits Bickford from bringing her daughter to that church and grants Bradeen sole authority over the child's involvement with Calvary Chapel. The parents retain shared decision-making authority regarding other religious organizations.
Bickford maintains that the order unlawfully interferes with her ability to raise her daughter according to her Christian beliefs. Through Liberty Counsel, she has argued that she is a fit parent who has never been found abusive or neglectful and that government officials should not be permitted to decide whether a child can participate in a parent's religious practices.
The Holy Bible, King James version. | Francis Dean/Corbis via Getty Images
Her legal team, led by Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver, has framed the case as one involving fundamental constitutional protections. Following the Maine Supreme Judicial Court's ruling, Staver said the decision "rejects the First Amendment right of a fit parent to raise her child consistent with her Christian faith" and conflicts with existing Supreme Court precedent.
Her legal team, led by Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver, has framed the case as one involving fundamental constitutional protections. Following the Maine Supreme Judicial Court's ruling, Staver said the decision "rejects the First Amendment right of a fit parent to raise her child consistent with her Christian faith" and conflicts with existing Supreme Court precedent.
New ‘reading’ mandate comes into effect for 5.5million Americans – and it will force ible studies
Allan Glen , News Reporter
Published: 12:48, 2 Sep 2026
Inside Trump's America-themed nine-hour prayer rally as 1,000s flock to National Mall to hear president read from Bible
Published: 12:48, 2 Sep 2026
Inside Trump's America-themed nine-hour prayer rally as 1,000s flock to National Mall to hear president read from Bible
A NEW reading mandate is coming into effect for millions of Americans.
The rule will force teachers in one state to ensure all students in grades 1 to 12 read passages and stories in the Bible.
Coming into effect in 2030, the mandate is part of a new reading list for public schools in Texas.
Teachers will have to follow the list, which has been approved by the State Board of Education.
This is the first time in the state’s history such a mandate has been enforced in the state.
According to reports, Texas is also the first state in the US to mandate the reading of direct religious texts.
The reading list contains nearly 200 mandatory readings for grades 1 through 12.
These range from classics such as Hickory Dickory Dock to Treasure Island and Hamlet.
Of these, 14 readings are Biblical stories or passages, amounting to one Biblical text for every 13 readings.
The list does not include any religious texts of faiths other than Christianity and Judaism.
In a blog post for the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, David R Brockman said the mandate designates “a single religious text, sacred to only two religions, Christianity and Judaism, as essential for student learning.”
He added: “The list’s Bible-only content could impair public schools’ ability to serve its religiously diverse population and potentially relegates non-Christian and non-religious Texans to the status of outsiders in their own public schools.”
The rule will force teachers in one state to ensure all students in grades 1 to 12 read passages and stories in the Bible.
Coming into effect in 2030, the mandate is part of a new reading list for public schools in Texas.
Teachers will have to follow the list, which has been approved by the State Board of Education.
This is the first time in the state’s history such a mandate has been enforced in the state.
According to reports, Texas is also the first state in the US to mandate the reading of direct religious texts.
The reading list contains nearly 200 mandatory readings for grades 1 through 12.
These range from classics such as Hickory Dickory Dock to Treasure Island and Hamlet.
Of these, 14 readings are Biblical stories or passages, amounting to one Biblical text for every 13 readings.
The list does not include any religious texts of faiths other than Christianity and Judaism.
In a blog post for the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, David R Brockman said the mandate designates “a single religious text, sacred to only two religions, Christianity and Judaism, as essential for student learning.”
He added: “The list’s Bible-only content could impair public schools’ ability to serve its religiously diverse population and potentially relegates non-Christian and non-religious Texans to the status of outsiders in their own public schools.”
Saudi Arabia and the 9-11 Attacks - 8/31/2026
Chris Pinto · SAUDI ARABIA & THE 9-11 ATTACKS - 08.31.2026
NOISE OF THUNDER RADIO - 8.31.2026
Today's Show: SAUDI ARABIA & THE 9-11 ATTACKS
Chris discusses newly released information about the role of Saudi Arabia in the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center back in 2001. The FBI has affirmed that certain video shows a Saudi Arabian spy recording information in the U.S. several years before the attack -- during the Clinton administration. We discuss the details of how Bill Clinton graduated from Georgetown University along with Prince Turki Faisal, who was the head of Saudi Arabian intelligence during the time the attack was planned. We review audio clips of the long time friendship between Clinton and Faisal. Meanwhile, in 2014, Zacarias Moussaoui (known as the "20th hijacker") claimed that Prince Turki Faisal and his wife were the "real masterminds of 9/11."
Wednesday, September 02, 2026
The Manson Family Hoax (PSYOPS)
The Manson Family Hoax (PSYOPS)
Antidote for Poppycock Poisons
Sep 1, 2026
Hollywood casted Media Fake News Presentation. A Foundation Mendacity.
https://juxtaposition1.substack.com/p...
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US urges NATO allies to prepare in case Russia attacks
In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said allies need to be ready, in case Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to attack.
Francesca Chambers and Miles J. Herszenhorn USA TODAY
Updated Sept. 2, 2026, 8:49 a.m. ET
BRUSSELS – Russian President Vladimir Putin may not be planning an imminent assault on NATO nations, but the United States says its military allies need to train and invest like he is, so they’re ready to fend off a sudden attack.
After leaked U.S. intelligence reportedly revealed that Russia could launch a limited assault, such as a land incursion or cyberattack, on a member country within the next few years, America’s allies have been on high alert.
The warning contradicted assessments that Putin would not attempt to draw NATO into a fight while he’s battling Ukraine – and came amid concerns about a U.S. weapons shortage, as the Trump administration wages war on Iran.
In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY at the military alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker declined to comment directly on the leaked intelligence, while stressing a need for allies to be vigilant in their defense spending and weapons production.
“You can't predict what Vladimir Putin's going to do or any adversary. All you can do is be prepared for it and deter and make it not worth their time to make that move,” Whitaker said. “And I think we are preparing every single day to prevent that from happening, and if it does happen, to be ready for it.
“We should know that our adversary invaded Ukraine, and so we should all be pretty clear-eyed,” Whitaker added.
After leaked U.S. intelligence reportedly revealed that Russia could launch a limited assault, such as a land incursion or cyberattack, on a member country within the next few years, America’s allies have been on high alert.
The warning contradicted assessments that Putin would not attempt to draw NATO into a fight while he’s battling Ukraine – and came amid concerns about a U.S. weapons shortage, as the Trump administration wages war on Iran.
In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY at the military alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker declined to comment directly on the leaked intelligence, while stressing a need for allies to be vigilant in their defense spending and weapons production.
“You can't predict what Vladimir Putin's going to do or any adversary. All you can do is be prepared for it and deter and make it not worth their time to make that move,” Whitaker said. “And I think we are preparing every single day to prevent that from happening, and if it does happen, to be ready for it.
“We should know that our adversary invaded Ukraine, and so we should all be pretty clear-eyed,” Whitaker added.
The Next Chapter
Volume 45 Issue Nine September 2026
Last Trumpet Ministries ∙ PO Box 806 ∙ Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” I Cor. 14:8
The Next Chapter
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
John 5:39
In ancient times, copying written text was a lengthy and expensive process. Individuals known as scribes would perform this painstaking work, often to preserve important writings such as Scripture. Over time, technology improved dramatically, enabling text to be copied far more quickly and efficiently. Around 1440, German inventor Johannes Gutenberg developed a working concept of his movable-type printing press, which would eventually allow written text to be mass-produced at a speed never before seen. In the mid-1450s, Gutenberg printed his famous 42-line Bible in Latin, the first book printed on a movable-type press in the West. (1) Before Gutenberg’s press was invented, it would take a scribe about three years to copy a Bible. In 1454, Gutenberg produced nearly 180 copies of the sacred book. By the year 1500, there were nearly twenty million books in Western Europe, many of which were Bibles. (2)
Before the printing press was invented, it was mostly the skilled and elite members of society, such as the wealthy, scholars, and the clergy, who had access to written texts. The poor and working classes were often illiterate. Gutenberg’s press made books more accessible and affordable. Thus, those who had little opportunity to read before finally had access to materials that could help them acquire one of the most important skills a person could ever learn: the ability to read and write. Once you have these skills, they open the door to a vast body of knowledge. Today, we have unprecedented access to far more information than was available to any previous generation. Much of this information is at our fingertips twenty-four hours a day through the internet and accessible on devices we carry in our pockets. Increasingly, however, the written word has fallen out of favor. In this issue, we will examine modern trends that give us a glimpse at the next chapter of human history. It is waiting to be written but might never be read.
The End Of Reading
On July 8, 2026, The Atlantic published an essay which declares in its headline, “The End of Reading Is Here.” The piece reveals some startling statistics about American literacy in this modern age. A survey conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts found that fewer than half of all adults in the United States read a book in 2022. An American Time Use Survey, which analyzed 236,000 responses, found that only 16 percent of Americans reported reading anything for pleasure on a given day - down from 28 percent in 2004. Fewer than 10 percent of Americans still read a newspaper, and 40 percent of people who get their news online prefer to watch or listen to it rather than read it. (3)
The piece also explains that young people are especially struggling with reading comprehension. A test conducted in 2024 found that just 35 percent of high school seniors were proficient at “analyzing complex fictional themes and evaluating the effectiveness of an author’s argument.” (4) In other words, even when they can read the words in a written work, they may struggle to understand what those words mean.
Reading comprehension struggles extend even to the most prestigious universities. Margaret Rennix, who is the assistant director for humanities and social sciences support at Harvard University, reported that one student struggled to comprehend the 1962 novel A Clockwork Orange and had to turn to the AI chatbot ChatGPT to help decipher it. Meanwhile, course evaluations at Harvard revealed a number of complaints from students upset that their assignments required them to read entire literary works. “By asking them to read, professors are arbitrarily withholding information from students by forcing them to get it through a more difficult medium,” Rennix said as she explained the students’ mentality. (5)
A survey conducted in 2025 found that English teachers in public schools assigned between zero and four books a year to their students. A growing number of schools no longer assign entire books at all, preferring rather to use short excerpts of written works. One principal at an elementary school in Corona, California, reported that many school administrators are instructing teachers not to assign entire books as reading assignments. (6)
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