Friday, October 02, 2026
Will CNN’s new owner want to change everything? Not for now
Oct. 2, 2026 at 6:01 am Updated Oct. 2, 2026 at 6:01 am
FILE — Anderson Cooper leads a CNN town hall at Sun Center Studios in Chester Township, Pa., Oct. 23, 2024. David Ellison is negotiating to keep CNN’s chief executive, Mark Thompson, in place without oversight from Bari Weiss,... (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)More
By
Benjamin Mullin and MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM
The New York Times
For months, skeptics of Paramount’s $111 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery have wondered how much David Ellison, the tech scion in charge of the combined company, might want to change CNN.
As it turns out: not much. For now, at least.
Ellison is working out a deal to keep Mark Thompson, CNN’s current CEO, in place as the network’s top leader for at least the next year, according to two people with knowledge of the talks who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details were not yet finalized.
Under the plan taking shape, Bari Weiss, the contrarian critic of mainstream media whom Ellison picked to run CBS News, would remain in her current role as the deal closed. For the time being, she is not expected to take on editorial or operational oversight of CNN, according to one of those people and another person familiar with the negotiations.
Weiss retains the support of the Ellison family, and her role could eventually change, the two people added.
Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery will create a media giant that places CBS News and CNN, streaming services HBO and Paramount+ and two major movie studios, Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures, under the same corporate umbrella. The deal is scheduled to close next week after a legal battle that delayed its completion for several months.
In the negotiations, which are ongoing, Thompson has long insisted on preserving his authority to operate the network independently, without interference from other executives.
It is possible that Thompson and Ellison do not reach an agreement that allows him to run CNN for the foreseeable future.
What we're learning about the FlyDubai co-pilot who allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash the plane
By Kerry Breen
Updated on: October 2, 2026 / 9:23 AM EDT / CBS News
One day after a FlyDubai co-pilot made a violent attempt to crash the passenger aircraft and was subdued by passengers and other crew members, questions about his identity and motive continued to swirl Thursday.
The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was approaching Israel when the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the flight captain and attempted to crash the aircraft, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said. The captain was able to fight off the co-pilot long enough to unlock the cockpit door. Passengers then overpowered the co-pilot, and two off-duty pilots who were on the flight managed to gain control of the aircraft and make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
There were 174 people aboard the plane. No passengers were seriously injured in the incident. The pilot sustained stab wounds in the attack. Saudi authorities said two crew members were hospitalized with unspecified injuries, and the co-pilot remained in custody on Thursday.
Who was the FlyDubai co-pilot?
The co-pilot of the flight has not yet been publicly identified.
An Omani official confirmed to CBS News that the attacker was born in Oman and currently holds Omani citizenship, but the Omani government has not publicly confirmed his nationality.
A FlyDubai flight bound for Dubai is seen before taking off from Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on Sept. 30, 2026.Jack GUEZ /AFP via Getty Images
Why not use the NKJV instead of KJV?
AI overview
Some traditional readers prefer the King James Version (KJV) over the New King James Version (NKJV) because they prefer its poetic 17th-century prose, the precise singular/plural pronoun distinctions in the original languages, or a strict adherence to traditional underlying manuscripts without modern footnotes.
Reasons for Preferring KJV Over NKJV
- Literary Style and Memorization: The majestic, rhythmic language of the 1611 Authorized Version has centuries of devotional heritage, making it significantly easier to memorize for many believers.
- Loss of Pronoun Distinction: The KJV preserves specific second-person pronouns (thou, thee, ye, you) to show whether a pronoun is singular or plural, matching the underlying Hebrew and Greek. The NKJV modernizes these to standard "you," losing that immediate grammatical clarity.
Customs stops more than 600 stolen cars from being shipped out...
Customs stops more than 600 stolen cars from being shipped out in international crime theft ring
Friday, October 2, 2026 6:10AM
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has stopped more than 600 attempts this year to ship stolen vehicles overseas
WPVI
Federal agents announced a major crackdown on stolen cars at a busy East Coast port.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said on Thursday that they have stopped more than 600 attempts this year to ship stolen vehicles overseas through the Port of New York and New Jersey, as part of an international crime ring.
Security camera videos provided by homeowners captured intruders entering homes while families slept upstairs and searching drawers and bags for key fobs to high-end vehicles parked outside.
Many of the stolen vehicles ultimately end up in containers at the Port of Newark before being shipped to overseas buyers, generating millions of dollars for criminal organizations, according to officials.
Michael McCarthy of Homeland Security said the effort has prevented millions of dollars' worth of stolen vehicles from leaving the country.
"Keeping over $36 million in stolen property from leaving this country, but behind those numbers are real victims, every single one of those vehicles were taken from someone -- a family, a commuter, a small business," McCarthy said.
Customs and Border Protection displayed several high-end vehicles investigators recovered after they were stolen.
"This illegal trade represents a significant loss for American consumers, businesses and insurance companies and it undermines the integrity of our borders," said TenaVel Thomas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection port director.
Law enforcement agencies involved in efforts to break up the theft rings discussed their ongoing work at the Port of Newark but did not disclose their tactics.
Officials also urged vehicle owners to take precautions that could make it more difficult for thieves to steal their cars.
"Never leave their cars and key fobs in vehicles, keep doors locked, windows closed, park your cars in well-lit areas," Hudson County Sheriff's Office Chief Paterson Pasteur said.
AOC speaks at pro-LGBT Catholic church on ‘our trans brothers and sisters’
By permitting AOC to speak from the pulpit, local Church leaders appear to be giving tacit approval to her far-left politics, even though they contradict Catholic teaching.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks to the media outside of the U.S. Capitol on August 31, 2026 in Washington, DC.Finn Gomez/Getty Images
LifeSiteNews staff
Thu Oct 1, 2026 - 11:34 am EDT
(LifeSiteNews) — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, better known as AOC, spoke from the pulpit at a Catholic church this week, co-opting the authority of the Church to accuse conservatives of making Catholics “turn against … our trans brothers and sisters and neighbors and siblings.”
By permitting AOC — the nation’s leading democratic socialist and 2028 presidential hopeful — to speak from the sanctuary at All Saints Catholic Church in Syracuse, New York, local Church leaders appear to be giving tacit approval to her politics — even though she directly contradicts Catholic teaching on transgenderism, homosexuality, and abortion.
The same parish held a “Pride Mass” in June 2025, where an LGBTQ “pride” flag with a cross superimposed over the rainbow colors hung over the altar. No crucifix is visible.
“If you try to list the sacrileges, you’ll lose count,” noted Daniel O’Connor, who posted a video of the offensive service on X.
“Those poor children. Lord, save your Church,” prayed O’Connor.
“I watched to the end and not only did he refer to the Holy Spirit as ‘she’ but allowed a layperson to preach the homily, made up his own Eucharistic prayer and pronounced the final blessing in the name God who is a ‘Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier,’” said Fr. Dwight Longenecker.
“So on Trinity Sunday an obvious Trinitatian heresy,” he added.
LifeSiteNews staff
Thu Oct 1, 2026 - 11:34 am EDT
(LifeSiteNews) — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, better known as AOC, spoke from the pulpit at a Catholic church this week, co-opting the authority of the Church to accuse conservatives of making Catholics “turn against … our trans brothers and sisters and neighbors and siblings.”
By permitting AOC — the nation’s leading democratic socialist and 2028 presidential hopeful — to speak from the sanctuary at All Saints Catholic Church in Syracuse, New York, local Church leaders appear to be giving tacit approval to her politics — even though she directly contradicts Catholic teaching on transgenderism, homosexuality, and abortion.
The same parish held a “Pride Mass” in June 2025, where an LGBTQ “pride” flag with a cross superimposed over the rainbow colors hung over the altar. No crucifix is visible.
“If you try to list the sacrileges, you’ll lose count,” noted Daniel O’Connor, who posted a video of the offensive service on X.
“Those poor children. Lord, save your Church,” prayed O’Connor.
“I watched to the end and not only did he refer to the Holy Spirit as ‘she’ but allowed a layperson to preach the homily, made up his own Eucharistic prayer and pronounced the final blessing in the name God who is a ‘Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier,’” said Fr. Dwight Longenecker.
“So on Trinity Sunday an obvious Trinitatian heresy,” he added.
The Dark Side Of AI
Volume 45 Issue Ten October 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 Dark Side Of AI
“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” - Romans 13:12
Most technology is morally neutral. From major innovations such as the printing press, radio, television, and the internet, we have seen that these devices can be used for good or evil. At their core, these are merely a means of transmitting information from the source to the recipient. Now we live in the age of artificial intelligence, and, like other major innovations that came before, AI can be used in ways that are both helpful and harmful.
Using ChatGPT to generate cartoon images of yourself and family members isn’t likely to cause much harm, and AI can help people who struggle with math or grammar. But the technology is notoriously unreliable. On the one hand, 23-year-old Liam Price used the pro version of ChatGPT to solve a math problem that had stumped mathematicians for sixty years. (1) On the other hand, a video posted on YouTube records ChatGPT advising a user to walk to a carwash instead of driving because it was a pleasant day. “You’ll walk back with a sparkling car and maybe a little extra pep in your step,” the bot said. (2) At times, the technology seems brilliant; at others, it appears woefully incompetent. James 1:8 warns, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” The same holds true for artificial intelligence.
Chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini were trained on massive amounts of information generated by human beings. They absorbed content from the internet and books at a pace beyond human capability, but their sources of information reflect the human experience for better or worse. It stands to reason that AI in the hands of evil people will be used for evil deeds. And artificial intelligence models developed by evil men and women will reflect that evil. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us something important about the nature of man. This verse warns, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Desperately wicked men will make desperately wicked AI.
We must remember that artificial intelligence is not a single monolithic thing. Thousands of AI tools and models exist today, and more are emerging as the market continues to expand and more companies seek to capitalize on what has become a digital gold rush. A website called There’s an AI For That lists 53,859 AI tools from over 9,000 companies in 114 countries, as of this writing. (3) This website is just one directory. There are many other forms of AI not included in this count.
Even if you built a benevolent AI with a strong moral imperative whose sole mission is to enhance the human experience, there would still be thousands of other AI entities, some of which reflect the bad intentions of their designers. Some could be used to aid an authoritarian government in administering a surveillance state. Others could excel at impersonating real individuals and be used to commit fraud and identity theft. An AI could be used to generate pornographic images, sometimes based on real individuals, without the consent of the person being mimicked. AI could be used to design biological weapons and viruses, and it could hack into computer systems and digital infrastructure with far greater efficiency than any person. Some of these things are already happening. As we watch this technology progress, it is evident that there is a dark side of AI.
Thursday, October 01, 2026
Pilot suspected of Flydubai attack transferred to UAE as investigation unfolds
Passengers are sharing harrowing firsthand accounts of the chaos onboard. Key questions about the attack remain unanswered.
Updated 3:21 PM EDT, Thu October 1, 2026
“Death in front of our eyes.” Passengers recount to CNN's Jeremy Diamond attack onboard Flydubai flight
Here's the latest
• Search for motive: Investigators are still working to determine why a pilot allegedly attacked his captain and tried to seize control of a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the alleged attacker “underwent Islamist radical indoctrination.”
• About the suspect: The accused pilot has not been publicly identified, but Israel says he is an Omani national. The suspect was medically cleared and is being transferred by a security team to the United Arab Emirates, which says it is investigating whether the violence was linked to “terrorist activity.”
• Chaos and heroism onboard: Passengers who helped overpower the attacker are sharing more about the terrifying experience. Capt. Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who has been hailed for his heroism in thwarting the suspected hijacking attempt, continues to receive medical attention after being transferred to the United Arab Emirates.
Updates(31)
Updated 3:21 PM EDT, Thu October 1, 2026
“Death in front of our eyes.” Passengers recount to CNN's Jeremy Diamond attack onboard Flydubai flight
Here's the latest
• Search for motive: Investigators are still working to determine why a pilot allegedly attacked his captain and tried to seize control of a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the alleged attacker “underwent Islamist radical indoctrination.”
• About the suspect: The accused pilot has not been publicly identified, but Israel says he is an Omani national. The suspect was medically cleared and is being transferred by a security team to the United Arab Emirates, which says it is investigating whether the violence was linked to “terrorist activity.”
• Chaos and heroism onboard: Passengers who helped overpower the attacker are sharing more about the terrifying experience. Capt. Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who has been hailed for his heroism in thwarting the suspected hijacking attempt, continues to receive medical attention after being transferred to the United Arab Emirates.
Updates(31)
FRANCE IN FLAMES Thousands arrested as French students torch schools & douse teachers in petrol in protests over ‘rat-infested classes’
Thousands arrested as French students torch schools & douse teachers in petrol in protests over ‘rat-infested classes’
Harvey Geh , Foreign News Reporter|
Peter Allen|
Anna Shreeves
Published: 08:22, 1 Oct 2026|
Updated: 14:45, 1 Oct 2026
THOUSANDS of students have been arrested after rioters set fire to schools and allegedly attacked teachers in a wave of shock protests across France.
Wild scenes have grown in scale and ferocity over the country as students continue set up barricades, ransack buildings and igniting fires over claims of rat and cockroach-infested classrooms.
Students have urged schools to improve classroom conditions
Credit: AFP
Teenagers battle riot cops launching tear gas at them
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
A youngster launches an object towards a fire amid the protests
Credit: AFP
Barricades and piles of rubbish have been set ablaze by students
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
It is reported thousands students – several under 16 – have been arrested following clashes with the police.
France’s prime minister convened a crisis meeting on Thursday, calling for ministers’ trips to be cancelled as they focus on the containing the nationwide spread of mayhem.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez condemned what he called an “escalation of violence” outside certain schools, France D.W reports.
The demonstrations kicked off on September 21 near the start of the academic year at a school in Créteil, a Paris suburb, and have snowballed from there.
It is reported thousands students – several under 16 – have been arrested following clashes with the police.
France’s prime minister convened a crisis meeting on Thursday, calling for ministers’ trips to be cancelled as they focus on the containing the nationwide spread of mayhem.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez condemned what he called an “escalation of violence” outside certain schools, France D.W reports.
The demonstrations kicked off on September 21 near the start of the academic year at a school in Créteil, a Paris suburb, and have snowballed from there.
Protesters against illegal immigration in South Africa call for more deportations
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Hundreds of people have held a demonstration against illegal immigration in the South African city of Durban
ByKAYLEEN MORGAN Associated Press and MOGOMOTSI MAGOME Associated Press
September 30, 2026, 3:58 PM
DURBAN, South Africa -- Hundreds of people held a demonstration against illegal immigration in the South African city of Durban on Wednesday, vowing to intensify their actions against what they say is the government's failure to deal with the issue.
The crowds, led by the March by March group, had set a Sept. 30 deadline for those living illegally in South Africa to leave the country. The deadline wasn't recognized by the government and authorities.
With some brandishing traditional Zulu weapons and singing cultural songs, they marched through Durban’s streets. Police didn’t report any incidents of violence against foreigners during the protest.
A similar deadline set for June 30 sparked a mass repatriation of foreigners to their various African countries after attacks on immigrants. The governments of those nations arranged for the evacuation of their citizens.
Wednesday's demonstration was the latest protest in South Africa over the last few months. There have been reported attacks against some foreign nationals that have led to diplomatic tensions between the South African government and some African nations.
South African authorities also have reported the deportations of thousands of foreigners who were in the country illegally in recent months.
Earlier this month, Nigeria’s parliament indefinitely suspended official visits and engagements with South Africa over the immigration tensions.
For years, South Africa has attracted foreign nationals seeking economic opportunities from across the continent, including from nearby countries Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique and Malawi, and as far away as Nigeria, Ghana and Ethiopia.
Many blame migrants for the country’s high levels of unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.
“We were raising another concern about our porous borders and the fact that we have overstretched resources that are not enough to take care of us,” said Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, the leader of March and March.
The protests were meant to put more pressure on the government and called for more deportations of those who are in the country illegally, she said.
“The message we are sending today is that people are getting really, really fed up," she said. "We also hope that our government will take the cries of the people seriously, instead of trying to look good to the international world."
Protesters said that the demonstration was also meant to express outrage over the issue of femicide and gender-based violence in the country, which has recently been highlighted by the killing of at least 11 women in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg.
___
Mogomotsi Magome reported from Johannesburg.
DHS Calls on Sanctuary Politicians to Stop Violent Rhetoric Against ICE as Assaults Increase by More Than 1,600%
Release Date: September 24, 2026
Assaults against ICE officials have risen by more than 1,600% compared to the first year and a half of the Biden Administration
WASHINGTON – The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement calling on sanctuary politicians across the country to stop using hateful and violent rhetoric against the men and women of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who are currently facing a more than 1,600% increase in assaults against them.
According to the latest data, there were 647 assaults against ICE from January 20, 2025 to September 20, 2026, compared to just 37 under the Biden Administration from January 20, 2021 to September 20, 2022. This marks an increase of 1,649%.
“The brave men and women of ICE, who are simply enforcing the laws mandated by Congress and protecting the American people, are under attack every single day. Since President Trump unleashed ICE to do their jobs, assaults against them have risen by more than 1,600% in the first year and a half of the administration,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “This is the result of the vicious lies being spread by sanctuary politicians and their foot soldiers who are involved in anti-ICE riots and other acts of violence. DHS is calling on these sanctuary politicians to stop attacking federal law enforcement, stop putting the needs of illegal aliens ahead of the safety of American citizens, and to start working with us to make America safe again.”
Below are some of the most egregious examples of hateful rhetoric by sanctuary politicians against ICE:
- Representative Greg Casar said “we will all be more safe when ICE gets the hell out of Austin, Texas.”
- Representative Lloyd Doggett falsely claimed that illegal aliens “are not posing any danger to our community and are contributing to our community,” while also saying that ICE “acts in a secretive way as if it’s above the law.”
- Austin Mayor Kirk Watson falsely claimed that ICE has a “rogue nature” and “foment[s] chaos.”
- Austin City Councilwoman Krista Laine falsely claimed that ICE is “terrorizing our cities and threatening the safety of our residents.”
- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz compared ICE to a “modern-day Gestapo.”
- Representative Jasmine Crockett compared ICE to “slave patrols…disappearing people based on their skin color,” and also accused ICE of “turning us into Nazi Germany.”
- Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker claimed that the United States is “essentially” becoming Nazi Germany because of ICE’s heroic efforts.
- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu compared mask-wearing ICE agents to a Neo-Nazi group.
- Representative Becca Balint compared ICE law enforcement officers to “vigilantes” engaging in “kidnapping.”
- Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hosted a webinar providing tips for illegal aliens to evade arrests at homes, workplaces, or in public.
- Representative Dan Goldman posted an online video calling on illegal aliens to make a plan for ICE encounters.
- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued multilingual flyers and online resources advising illegal aliens on how to evade arrest.
- California Governor Gavin Newsom released guides and sanctuary laws advising illegal aliens how to recognize ICE, block entry, and defy arrest.
- Representative Shri Thanedar introduced the Abolish ICE Act and stated that ICE “cannot be reformed and must be abolished.”
- Representative Ilhan Omar delivered a House floor speech calling to abolish ICE.
- Representative John Larson called ICE law enforcement officers “the SS” and “the Gestapo” for arresting criminal illegal aliens.
- Representative Pramila Jayapal called ICE agents “deranged” and said it is “inspiring” to obstruct immigration enforcement.
- Representative Eric Swalwell compared ICE agents to a “KGB officer in Russia.”
US can deport the leader of Wisconsin’s largest mosque on national security grounds, judge rules
This photo provided by Yaseen Najeeb shows Islamic Society of Milwaukee President Salah Sarsour on June 18, 2026, shortly after his release from Clay County Jail in Brazil, Indiana, where he was detained after his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in March. (Yaseen Najeeb via AP, File) CORRECTION: Najeeb, not Jajeeb.
By CYBELE MAYES-OSTERMAN
Updated 6:12 PM EDT, September 30, 2026
Leer en español
CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. can deport the leader of Wisconsin’s largest mosque — an outspoken advocate of Palestinian rights — on the grounds that he is a threat to national security, an immigration judge ruled Wednesday.
Salah Sarsour was detained in Milwaukee in March by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. A federal judge ordered Sarsour’s release in June, saying he raised a “substantial” claim that the Trump administration was targeting him for speaking out against Israel and advocating for Palestinian rights.
Sarsour called the ruling “deeply disappointing,” but said he intends to appeal.
“I will continue fighting to defend the right to free speech and to stay in the country I have called home for more than three decades,” Sarsour said in a statement.
Government attorneys say Sarsour’s decades-old convictions in Israel make him a threat to national security and accuse him of lying on his green card application and falsely claiming citizenship to vote. Judge Jayme Salinardi, with the Chicago Immigration Court, found him removable on foreign policy grounds but tossed out the government’s claim that Sarsour lied to immigration authorities.
“All illegal aliens receive due process,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. “If a judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period.”
Sarsour says his life will be at risk if he is deported to the West Bank
Sarsour, who was born in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, was imprisoned in Israel in 1988 after being convicted of throwing stones at Israeli military personnel. DHS has said he was also convicted of throwing a Molotov cocktail. His defense team says he was accused of that but not convicted. In 1995, he was convicted of attempting to possess weapons. Sarsour denies committing those crimes and his attorneys say he was tortured and coerced into confessing in both instances.
Sarsour, the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, does not have a criminal record in the U.S., where he has lived since 1993. His attorneys say the U.S. government has known about Sarsour’s convictions in Israel since he arrived.
Deportation to the West Bank “means the end of my life,” Sarsour told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
One of his attorneys, Patrick Taurel, said Sarsour’s treatment by Israeli authorities is “probably a good indicator of what awaits him” if he is deported.
Anti-blasphemy laws in America?
By Mark Tooley
Published September 30, 2026 4:00pm ET
America’s previous longtime consensus for universal religious freedom is fraying. Policies that targeted traditional Christian merchants who would not cater to same-sex nuptials or shuttered Catholic adoption agencies for similar reasons foreshadowed the end of the consensus.
Those challenges came from the secular left. Now some religious conservatives are disputing America’s traditional commitment to religious freedom for all.
In recent years, small numbers of often highly educated young men have embraced Catholic integralism or Protestant confessional statism, sometimes self-identifying as Christian nationalism. The former aspires to a society that, as in medieval times, makes the Catholic Church paramount, including in matters of civil law. The latter, often romanticizing John Calvin’s Geneva or Puritan New England, wants a government specifically committed to their version of Christianity.
Both groups would restrict non-Christians and punish blasphemers and heretics in civil law. Both groups think “liberalism,” with its assumption of legal equality and freedom of speech for all, has failed. Both groups have gained outsized attention thanks to our current “postliberal” political moment.
Postliberal Catholic integralists typically think American democracy, founded on Protestant and Enlightenment principles, was flawed from the start. Postliberal Protestant Christian nationalists try to claim the founders were fine with religious establishments and legal privilege for Christians.
These arguments had seemed confined to the margins of religious conservatism. But recently, Al Mohler, president of America’s second-largest seminary, has aligned with their cause. In 2024, Mohler shared a platform at the annual National Conservatism Conference with Doug Wilson, the patriarch of Protestant confessional state Christian nationalism.
Douglas Wilson, Senior Minister of Christ Church, Moscow, Idaho, speaks at the National Conservatism Conference, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
“I want to maximize the Christian commitments of the state,” Mohler said at the National Conservatism convo. “I call that ‘acknowledgment.’ I’m not claiming that every citizen will be a confessing Christian, but that does not mean they are not obligated to the acknowledgment of the Christian structure of this civilization.”
“I want to maximize the Christian commitments of the state,” Mohler said at the National Conservatism convo. “I call that ‘acknowledgment.’ I’m not claiming that every citizen will be a confessing Christian, but that does not mean they are not obligated to the acknowledgment of the Christian structure of this civilization.”
Heavy Drinking Rises Sharply For Older Americans As Younger Generations Cut Back
By iHeartRadio
Sep 30, 2026
Sep 30, 2026
Photo: SeventyFour / iStock / Getty Images
Heavy drinking among Americans ages 50 to 64 has jumped more than 36% since 2018, even as overall alcohol use in the United States has declined for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. A new study led by Dr. Brian P. Lee at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California found that while younger generations are cutting back, middle-aged adults are moving in the opposite direction.
Researchers analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey conducted from 2018 through 2024. The results, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (September 2026), showed that heavy drinking rose by over one-third in adults 50 to 64, while alcohol use in this group increased by nearly 4%.
In contrast, Americans in other age groups have reduced their drinking habits. Gallup’s August 2026 poll found that only 54% of U.S. adults now drink alcohol, tying last year’s record low. Generation Z and millennials saw the largest drops, with Gen Z drinking down almost 6% and millennial heavy drinking falling by 17%.
The study defined heavy drinking as 15 or more drinks per week or five or more in a day for men, and eight or more a week or four or more in a day for women, matching standards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers have not pinpointed exactly why heavy drinking is up among older adults, but they note that this group faces increased health risks, including higher rates of cirrhosis and alcohol-related cancers. As noted by Dr. Lee, “The encouraging national decline should not overshadow the fact that some groups continue to be at increased risk.”
Experts say several factors may contribute to these risks. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that older adults have less body water and muscle, which means the same number of drinks leads to a higher blood alcohol level than in younger years. They are also more likely to take medications that can dangerously interact with alcohol and to have chronic health issues that alcohol can worsen.
The overall decline in drinking is seen as positive, but the rise among those aged 50 to 64 signals a need for targeted prevention and treatment efforts. Most people with alcohol use disorder do not receive treatment—in 2024, only 7.5% sought help, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Outpatient care, which can be scheduled around work and family, is now considered a practical option for many.
Looking ahead, health experts urge ongoing awareness and support for older adults at higher risk of alcohol-related harm. The study’s authors recommend that individuals discuss alcohol use with their healthcare providers, especially if they are taking other medications or managing chronic conditions.
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