Tuesday, September 01, 2026
For over 100 years, travelers have checked into US motel rooms and found the Gideon Bible
The Gideon Bible has become a symbol of America's roadside culture and Protestant tradition
Luis Andres Henao
Wednesday 26 August 2026 17:08 BST
“Rocky Raccoon checked into his room, only to find Gideon’s Bible.”
Paul McCartney explained those famous lines in the song by The Beatles, saying these Bibles “were in every hotel in America.” He’d never seen something like that in England.
For more than a century, countless have found it in the bedside drawers of American hotel and motel rooms. It has become a symbol of America’s roadside culture and Protestant tradition. It’s mentioned in lyrics, films, Broadway shows.
“The Gideon Bible is a peculiarly and amazingly American object,” says Lori Anne Ferrell, author of “The Bible and the People.”
It began with Gideons International, an organization of evangelical business and professional men founded in 1899.
One of its members, working on a railroad expansion project, gets off the train in the town of Superior in western Montana, and checks into a hotel. He asks the owner if he can place a Bible at the front desk. She responds with a more ambitious proposal: Place a Bible in each of the hotel rooms.
The group says that it has distributed more than 2.5 billion Bibles worldwide since that day in 1908. It was the year that Ford Motor Co. began manufacturing the Model T, the first low-priced car that introduced motoring to the masses.
Luis Andres Henao
Wednesday 26 August 2026 17:08 BST
“Rocky Raccoon checked into his room, only to find Gideon’s Bible.”
Paul McCartney explained those famous lines in the song by The Beatles, saying these Bibles “were in every hotel in America.” He’d never seen something like that in England.
For more than a century, countless have found it in the bedside drawers of American hotel and motel rooms. It has become a symbol of America’s roadside culture and Protestant tradition. It’s mentioned in lyrics, films, Broadway shows.
“The Gideon Bible is a peculiarly and amazingly American object,” says Lori Anne Ferrell, author of “The Bible and the People.”
It began with Gideons International, an organization of evangelical business and professional men founded in 1899.
One of its members, working on a railroad expansion project, gets off the train in the town of Superior in western Montana, and checks into a hotel. He asks the owner if he can place a Bible at the front desk. She responds with a more ambitious proposal: Place a Bible in each of the hotel rooms.
The group says that it has distributed more than 2.5 billion Bibles worldwide since that day in 1908. It was the year that Ford Motor Co. began manufacturing the Model T, the first low-priced car that introduced motoring to the masses.
The ‘new era’ of Latino socialists in New York: ‘If the Democratic Party wants to lead, it must create a solution to the immigration problem’
Several of these politicians have joined the call to abolish ICE and to demand immigration reform that protects undocumented people in the US
CARLA GLORIA COLOMÉ
New York - AUG 31, 2026 - 07:41 EDT
On the cover of issue number 304 of The Indypendent, a “free and progressive” paper printed on gray stock that New Yorkers pick up in libraries, laundromats, conference rooms and subway stations, Claire Valdez and Darializa Ávila Chevalier appeared back to back, both with broad smiles, in those June days when Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed them in the state Democratic primaries. When they finally became the nominees for the November congressional elections, Valdez and Chevalier grabbed the issue of The Indypendent, recreated their poses from the cover in person—victorious and amazed that the future had been sketched out for them in advance. One striking detail: both were Latina, the former of Mexican roots; the latter a daughter of Dominican parents. Both alternated Spanish and English on the campaign trail, self-identify as socialists, and worry about the things that concern people like themselves these days: that immigration enforcement might take a neighbor, or that paychecks won’t stretch to the end of the month.
Shortly after the primaries, the Instagram page DSA Latinos Socialistas invited everyone to a conversation where they would sell Venezuelan empanadas and, at the same time, raise funds to help Venezuelans who survived the earthquakes. Four panelists were scheduled for the talk: Ecuadorian Diana Moreno, who had filled Mamdani’s vacated seat as state assembly member for Queens’s 36th District; Illapa Sairitupac, the son of indigenous Peruvian immigrants whom Mamdani also backed and who won the Democratic primary for Assembly District 65; Claire Valdez, running for the 7th Congressional District seat; and Darializa Ávila Chevalier, the candidate for the 13th. A poster in large letters read: “Latina socialist politics in New York: a new era.” They were coining the idea that times had changed.
They were all fresh faces, people in their thirties; none yet had the look or cadence of a conventional politician. They came from roles as community organizers, artists, PhD students, political science graduates and social workers. Politics had not yet left its mark on them, they had not promised anything they hadn’t delivered, and so people went out to vote for them to get rid of the old establishment players. They were part of—and also a product of—the aura Mamdani left in an election that revived the American left, and therefore shared what, as a generation and as members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), others also defended: rejecting any money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), condemning the genocide in Gaza, and pushing for more affordable cities.
But one thing set Latino politicians apart from their colleagues: when they talked about abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, they did not see the idea only as a necessary political stance but as the possibility of ending an agency that detains and deports migrants; migrants were, and are, their own families, friends or neighbors. “At parties or at the dinner table we talked about how much it costs to change immigration status, whether the neighbor was having trouble with immigration authorities. That’s how politics was talked about in my house,” Chevalier told EL PAÍS, recalling the days when she was still a girl born in Miami.
When these candidates talk about labor rights, they do so after having been employed and paid very little themselves: “I’ve had to work since I was 14,” Valdez says; she grew up in Lubbock, in northwest Texas. “I worked in fast-food restaurants and supermarkets. Once, at a Taco Bell, I messed up an order and my manager put those tacos in front of my face and said: you just wasted seven dollars of our product. He threw them in the trash in a very dramatic way to make me feel bad. I was paid $7.25 an hour, so those three tacos were worth an hour of my life.”
These new Latino politicians come from families that invested time and money so their children could study; they later moved, came to New York, and are now holding or seeking federal or state office. It’s not that they were the first Latinos in local or national politics: by then there were already names like Tiffany Cabán, Alexa Avilés, Marcela Mitaynes, Jessica González-Rojas, Kristen González, and the prominent figure Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but more were joining at a moment they described as very particular.
Claire Valdéz, Diana Moreno and Darializa Ávila Chevalier.GETTY / EL PAÍS
CARLA GLORIA COLOMÉ
New York - AUG 31, 2026 - 07:41 EDT
On the cover of issue number 304 of The Indypendent, a “free and progressive” paper printed on gray stock that New Yorkers pick up in libraries, laundromats, conference rooms and subway stations, Claire Valdez and Darializa Ávila Chevalier appeared back to back, both with broad smiles, in those June days when Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed them in the state Democratic primaries. When they finally became the nominees for the November congressional elections, Valdez and Chevalier grabbed the issue of The Indypendent, recreated their poses from the cover in person—victorious and amazed that the future had been sketched out for them in advance. One striking detail: both were Latina, the former of Mexican roots; the latter a daughter of Dominican parents. Both alternated Spanish and English on the campaign trail, self-identify as socialists, and worry about the things that concern people like themselves these days: that immigration enforcement might take a neighbor, or that paychecks won’t stretch to the end of the month.
Shortly after the primaries, the Instagram page DSA Latinos Socialistas invited everyone to a conversation where they would sell Venezuelan empanadas and, at the same time, raise funds to help Venezuelans who survived the earthquakes. Four panelists were scheduled for the talk: Ecuadorian Diana Moreno, who had filled Mamdani’s vacated seat as state assembly member for Queens’s 36th District; Illapa Sairitupac, the son of indigenous Peruvian immigrants whom Mamdani also backed and who won the Democratic primary for Assembly District 65; Claire Valdez, running for the 7th Congressional District seat; and Darializa Ávila Chevalier, the candidate for the 13th. A poster in large letters read: “Latina socialist politics in New York: a new era.” They were coining the idea that times had changed.
They were all fresh faces, people in their thirties; none yet had the look or cadence of a conventional politician. They came from roles as community organizers, artists, PhD students, political science graduates and social workers. Politics had not yet left its mark on them, they had not promised anything they hadn’t delivered, and so people went out to vote for them to get rid of the old establishment players. They were part of—and also a product of—the aura Mamdani left in an election that revived the American left, and therefore shared what, as a generation and as members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), others also defended: rejecting any money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), condemning the genocide in Gaza, and pushing for more affordable cities.
But one thing set Latino politicians apart from their colleagues: when they talked about abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, they did not see the idea only as a necessary political stance but as the possibility of ending an agency that detains and deports migrants; migrants were, and are, their own families, friends or neighbors. “At parties or at the dinner table we talked about how much it costs to change immigration status, whether the neighbor was having trouble with immigration authorities. That’s how politics was talked about in my house,” Chevalier told EL PAÍS, recalling the days when she was still a girl born in Miami.
When these candidates talk about labor rights, they do so after having been employed and paid very little themselves: “I’ve had to work since I was 14,” Valdez says; she grew up in Lubbock, in northwest Texas. “I worked in fast-food restaurants and supermarkets. Once, at a Taco Bell, I messed up an order and my manager put those tacos in front of my face and said: you just wasted seven dollars of our product. He threw them in the trash in a very dramatic way to make me feel bad. I was paid $7.25 an hour, so those three tacos were worth an hour of my life.”
These new Latino politicians come from families that invested time and money so their children could study; they later moved, came to New York, and are now holding or seeking federal or state office. It’s not that they were the first Latinos in local or national politics: by then there were already names like Tiffany Cabán, Alexa Avilés, Marcela Mitaynes, Jessica González-Rojas, Kristen González, and the prominent figure Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but more were joining at a moment they described as very particular.
Inhaler Overuse Linked to Heart Risks
(Adobe Stock) j
Friday, 28 August 2026 10:17 AM EDT
For people with asthma or COPD, reaching for a rescue inhaler too often may be a warning sign — not just for their lungs, but for their heart.
It's estimated nearly 1 in 5 asthma patients and 1 in 3 COPD patients overuse these products.
Researchers analyzed real-world health data from more than 280,000 asthma and COPD patients in Belgium.
They found frequent use of short-acting reliever inhalers, also called bronchodilators, was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death, including heart failure, heart attack and ischemic stroke.
Compared with no use, the increased risk of death ranged from 12% to 73% depending on the type of inhaler and whether patients had asthma or COPD.
Using three or more reliever inhalers a year was also associated with a higher risk of death compared with using two or fewer.
Researchers say these inhalers briefly relax airway muscles, but can also cause faster, irregular heart rates. And relying on them too heavily may be a sign that the underlying asthma or COPD isn't well controlled.
"Overuse of short-acting bronchodilators is an alarm signal which indicates uncontrolled airway inflammation and requires a medical review of treatment," said lead author Lies Lahousse from Ghent University in Belgium.
Researchers say overuse should prompt patients to have their lungs checked and healthcare providers to review patients’ treatment, inhaler technique and adherence.
The study was published in the journal ERJ Open Research.
© HealthDay
Friday, 28 August 2026 10:17 AM EDT
For people with asthma or COPD, reaching for a rescue inhaler too often may be a warning sign — not just for their lungs, but for their heart.
It's estimated nearly 1 in 5 asthma patients and 1 in 3 COPD patients overuse these products.
Researchers analyzed real-world health data from more than 280,000 asthma and COPD patients in Belgium.
They found frequent use of short-acting reliever inhalers, also called bronchodilators, was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death, including heart failure, heart attack and ischemic stroke.
Compared with no use, the increased risk of death ranged from 12% to 73% depending on the type of inhaler and whether patients had asthma or COPD.
Using three or more reliever inhalers a year was also associated with a higher risk of death compared with using two or fewer.
Researchers say these inhalers briefly relax airway muscles, but can also cause faster, irregular heart rates. And relying on them too heavily may be a sign that the underlying asthma or COPD isn't well controlled.
"Overuse of short-acting bronchodilators is an alarm signal which indicates uncontrolled airway inflammation and requires a medical review of treatment," said lead author Lies Lahousse from Ghent University in Belgium.
Researchers say overuse should prompt patients to have their lungs checked and healthcare providers to review patients’ treatment, inhaler technique and adherence.
The study was published in the journal ERJ Open Research.
© HealthDay
Monday, August 31, 2026
NYC first lady Rama Duwaji jets off to Europe for posh Islamic calligraphy retreat
By Adry Torres and David Spector
Published Aug. 29, 2026, 9:00 a.m. ET
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji is once again jetting off to Europe for a posh, Islamic- centered women’s retreat, The Post has learned.
Gotham’s controversial first lady will be resuming her role as the “artist-in-residence” with The Women Sanctuary for the third time this year when they host the “Journey through Islamic Calligraphy” retreat in Porto, Portugal.
The spiritual wellness gathering is set to take place in two sessions from Sept. 16-21 and 25-30, according to the group’s website.
Published Aug. 29, 2026, 9:00 a.m. ET
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji is once again jetting off to Europe for a posh, Islamic- centered women’s retreat, The Post has learned.
Gotham’s controversial first lady will be resuming her role as the “artist-in-residence” with The Women Sanctuary for the third time this year when they host the “Journey through Islamic Calligraphy” retreat in Porto, Portugal.
The spiritual wellness gathering is set to take place in two sessions from Sept. 16-21 and 25-30, according to the group’s website.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is joined by his wife, First Lady Rama Duwaji, following a news conference at Gracie Mansion on Jan. 12.James Keivom
“Some days, we will explore the rich history of Islam in Portugal, uncovering the traces of a remarkable legacy still woven into the landscape. On others, we will gather for a marvelous illustration workshop with our artist-in-residence, Rama Duwaji, celebrating this heritage,” the retreat’s website says.
Other afternoons will be dedicated to picnics, poolside hangouts, walks and chats.
“We believe these unhurried moments are just as much a part of the retreat as the program itself; a space for suhbah, spiritual reflection, and presence, where hearts can soften, souls can be nourished, and remembrance can arise naturally amidst the beauty of creation,” The Women Sanctuary boasts.
The retreat, priced from $4,300 for a shared room to $5,260 for a private room with a private bathroom, will take place at the manor house in the tranquil countryside of Arcos de Valdevez.
“Surrounded by nature, the venue provides a truly restorative environment, featuring an exceptional heated outdoor pool, a heated indoor pool, and beautifully landscaped gardens,” says the Women Sanctuary website.
Critics scoffed at Duwaji’s latest high-flying jaunt.
“Some days, we will explore the rich history of Islam in Portugal, uncovering the traces of a remarkable legacy still woven into the landscape. On others, we will gather for a marvelous illustration workshop with our artist-in-residence, Rama Duwaji, celebrating this heritage,” the retreat’s website says.
Other afternoons will be dedicated to picnics, poolside hangouts, walks and chats.
“We believe these unhurried moments are just as much a part of the retreat as the program itself; a space for suhbah, spiritual reflection, and presence, where hearts can soften, souls can be nourished, and remembrance can arise naturally amidst the beauty of creation,” The Women Sanctuary boasts.
The retreat, priced from $4,300 for a shared room to $5,260 for a private room with a private bathroom, will take place at the manor house in the tranquil countryside of Arcos de Valdevez.
“Surrounded by nature, the venue provides a truly restorative environment, featuring an exceptional heated outdoor pool, a heated indoor pool, and beautifully landscaped gardens,” says the Women Sanctuary website.
Critics scoffed at Duwaji’s latest high-flying jaunt.
Praxis Over Dogma EG White vs Dr Thurman vs Dr Cone
Praxis Over Dogma EG White vs Dr Thurman vs Dr Cone
Fred Ball
Aug 24, 2026
Sponsored by FD Ball Faith and Finance Advisors, this animated video stages a profound, intergenerational dialogue introducing Dr. Howard Thurman and Dr. James H. Cone to Ellen G. White’s 1891 address, "Our Duty to the Colored People". The video contrast-maps White’s practical, institutional efforts to uplift the oppressed in the Jim Crow South against Thurman’s psychological armor for those with their backs against the wall and Cone’s radical, systemic demands for total black liberation.
Socialism didn’t die with the Soviets — Mamdani just brought it to City Hall
By Kelly Sloan
Published August 29, 2026 7:00am ET
Watching Mayor Zohran Mamdani carry on in New York, I am reminded of Lord Percy of Newcastle’s ominous definition 75 years ago of “social democracy”: “The phrase,” he wrote, “does not imply that economic activity should not continue to be based on private property; it implies only that, as a matter of legal rights, such property should be perpetually insecure.”
One would be hard-pressed to find a more apt descriptor of the current situation in New York, three-quarters of a century after Lord Percy wrote those words intended as a warning to anyone who found themselves tempted by the intoxicating effects of socialism. Indeed, the rhetoric of Mamdani and his acolytes, who are now in the process of gobbling up Democratic primary nominations around the country, suggests their intentions for private property go further than that.
One can hope that it is merely hyperbolic license on their part, but such is the bombast emanating from the faction that is ascendant within the ranks of the Democratic Party. Conventional wisdom holds that this is a political anomaly, representing an extremist fringe that is too publicly unappetizing to warrant serious consideration. And yet they are winning primary elections in the middle of the country, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) name is being invoked unironically as a possible presidential candidate, and Mamdani is the mayor of America’s largest city. So, it’s probably best not to ignore the threat.
BECOMING a DEMON (DOCUMENTARY)
*(26:16 Mins. - 44:50 Mins.)
The Sons of God mentioned in Genesis 6 were the descedants of Seth, the third son of Adam & Eve.
The Sons of God mentioned in Genesis 6 were the descedants of Seth, the third son of Adam & Eve.
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Something Strange Is Going On With Flock Safety Cameras
Something Strange Is Going On With Flock Safety Cameras
reallygraceful
Aug 30, 2026
Something strange is going on with Flock Safety cameras.
Flock’s automated license-plate readers have rapidly popped up across American roads, neighborhoods and parking lots…even playgrounds...creating a searchable database of where vehicles have been. As reports emerge of warrantless searches, police misuse and data sharing among thousands of organizations, public outrage has made Flock the national face of mass surveillance.
But what happens if every Flock camera disappears tomorrow? POOF gone?
In this video, we investigate Flock Safety’s expansion, the Fourth Amendment loophole behind license-plate tracking, police surveillance drones, gunshot-detection microphones, real-time crime centers and the competing companies waiting to replace Flock.
Because Flock may be the visible black box beside the road—but the surveillance network surrounding it is becoming harder to see.
Last-minute doomsday scenarios for the 2026 election
People walk past a polling place at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC, during a primary election on June 16. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Analysis by
Imaginations run wild at what President Donald Trump and his allies might yet do to interfere in the coming midterm election. He’s already done quite a bit.
This is the man who alleged widespread voter fraud even in the two elections he won and who tried to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election he still won’t admit he lost. There’s no evidence of any such fraud.
Asked in recent months about some more extreme possible actions he could take in November or after, Trump has stayed coy while leaving ample room to stoke conspiracy theories, even as his top aides have continued to raise unsubstantiated concerns about voting machines and noncitizens voting.
Some of these extreme possible measures — which have been the subject of either speculation or direct lobbying by Trump allies — include seizing ballot boxes, declaring a national election emergency, or deploying troops or ICE agents to polling places. When Trump in July gave an address to the nation on election integrity, he did not promise to do any of these things. But speculation has persisted, particularly on the political left as it tries to get out the vote in November.
For Trump, teasing an election surprise may be the point
“Trump is throwing stuff out there. People are biting on it, and it makes the country as a whole more nervous, and is a self-perpetuating cycle,” said Ben Ginsberg, a longtime Republican election lawyer.
But he also said the country — and election workers — needs to be ready for the unexpected.
“Because the rhetoric is there and (Trump) has shown a singular ability for asymmetrical warfare starting on January 6. If you’re an election official, you have to be preparing,” he said. But that preparation must come, Ginsberg said, with the knowledge that “the creation of a climate of fear is maybe a goal in and of itself.”
Could Trump declare a national emergency?
When a reporter asked in February, Trump seemed surprised and said he didn’t know anything about a push by election deniers for him to declare a national election emergency and seize broad and unprecedented control over how states run elections.
But this month, when the idea was explained to him by conservative commentator Wayne Root, Trump didn’t reject it, but also didn’t endorse it.
“Let me just say that stranger things have happened, OK? I’ll leave it at that,” Trump said.
CAIR blamed 9/11 on US support for Israel, recommended bin Laden’s writings...
CAIR blamed 9/11 on US support for Israel, recommended bin Laden’s writings in back-to-school guide: ‘Evil propaganda’
Council on American-Islamic Relations, the US’s largest Muslim charity, blamed the 9/11 terror attacks on the country’s “support of Israel” and accused it of “state-sponsored Islamophobia” in its aftermath, according to since-deleted back-to-school material.
The embattled nonprofit released its annual “Back to school resource guide” for K-12 students Monday, containing a link outlining the outrageous claims – but it was inexplicably yanked a day later.
Screenshots obtained by The Post show the 16-page guide linked to a page that claimed the devastating Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans were masterminded not by Islamic terrorists but a “group self-identifying as Al Quaeda hailing from the mountains of Afghanistan.”
The embattled nonprofit released its annual “Back to school resource guide” for K-12 students Monday.
The since-deleted school material — titled “Muslim Studies Curriculum” — said the worst terror attack on American soil was justified because of the US’s “support of Israel” – and blamed America’s involvement in the Persian Gulf War and the “vast presence” of the military across the Middle East.
CAIR also blamed the US’s response for an “aggressive shift in US domestic and foreign policy” that sparked the Middle East’s War on Terror and an “erosion of civil liberties of many Americans.”
“While Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism existed long before the 9/11 attacks, this time period marked a stark shift in US policy and state sponsored Islamophobia in the US and abroad. There was immediate backlash against anyone perceived to be Muslim” wearing traditional garb, it said.
Muslims were unfairly targeted by the media, the guide suggested — drawing a contrast to “white supremacists” or “extreme animal rights activists” who were purportedly spared backlash when they also used “violence to further their cause,” read the outrageous claim.
Nicholas Haros Jr., who lost his mother, Frances, on 9/11 was disgusted but not shocked by the “evil propaganda.”
“Israel had nothing to do with 9/11,” said the outspoken kin who once blasted Rep. Ilhan Omar for her callous remarks that “some people did something” on that evil day.
The since-deleted school material — titled “Muslim Studies Curriculum” — said the worst terror attack on American soil was justified because of the US’s “support of Israel” – and blamed America’s involvement in the Persian Gulf War and the “vast presence” of the military across the Middle East.
CAIR also blamed the US’s response for an “aggressive shift in US domestic and foreign policy” that sparked the Middle East’s War on Terror and an “erosion of civil liberties of many Americans.”
“While Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism existed long before the 9/11 attacks, this time period marked a stark shift in US policy and state sponsored Islamophobia in the US and abroad. There was immediate backlash against anyone perceived to be Muslim” wearing traditional garb, it said.
Muslims were unfairly targeted by the media, the guide suggested — drawing a contrast to “white supremacists” or “extreme animal rights activists” who were purportedly spared backlash when they also used “violence to further their cause,” read the outrageous claim.
Nicholas Haros Jr., who lost his mother, Frances, on 9/11 was disgusted but not shocked by the “evil propaganda.”
“Israel had nothing to do with 9/11,” said the outspoken kin who once blasted Rep. Ilhan Omar for her callous remarks that “some people did something” on that evil day.
The UN’s 2000 “Replacement Migration” Report Reveals the REAL Global Plan | Bernadette Spofforth
The UN’s 2000 “Replacement Migration” Report Reveals the REAL Global Plan | Bernadette Spofforth
Winston Marshall Clips
Aug 28, 2026
Bernadette Spofforth joins The Winston Marshall Show to discuss mass immigration, falling birth rates, the UN’s Replacement Migration paper, Agenda 2030 and the economics behind Net Zero. Spofforth, a British businesswoman and social commentator who co-founded digital radio company Intempo, examines how demographic decline and ageing populations have shaped government thinking on migration and welfare. She argues that Britain’s immigration policy, multiculturalism and social cohesion must be understood alongside UN population forecasts, the welfare state and the economic pressures created by shrinking working-age populations. The discussion also covers the Club of Rome, The Limits to Growth, Sustainable Development Goals, climate change policy, renewable energy, Africa’s development and the financial incentives surrounding environmental regulation. Spofforth also addresses how political short-termism and fears over cultural integration have influenced successive governments’ responses to immigration and demographic change.
Saturday, August 29, 2026
The Blood Thirsty Women | Pastor James Wright | TRUMPET IN THE WILDERNESS
The Blood Thirsty Women | Pastor James Wright | TRUMPET IN THE WILDERNESS
August 29, 2026
Controversial Hindu nationalist leader spurs protests, Mamdani denunciation ahead of NYC speech
By Associated Press
Published Aug. 28, 2026, 12:32 p.m. ET
Mamdani opposes NYC event featuring RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat
https://youtube.com/shorts/qU_8bNjLbCQ?si=Rn2NdVeAOhBuoa6n
An event Saturday in New York City, featuring the head of a Hindu nationalist group instrumental in putting India’s ruling party in power, is being met with protests, a denunciation from the city’s mayor and a call for sanctions from a US panel on religious freedom.
Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, widely considered the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party, is scheduled to address about 5,000 members of Indian American groups at the city’s iconic Madison Square Garden arena.
Titled “Universal Oneness Celebration,” the event is being organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue.
Published Aug. 28, 2026, 12:32 p.m. ET
Mamdani opposes NYC event featuring RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat
https://youtube.com/shorts/qU_8bNjLbCQ?si=Rn2NdVeAOhBuoa6n
An event Saturday in New York City, featuring the head of a Hindu nationalist group instrumental in putting India’s ruling party in power, is being met with protests, a denunciation from the city’s mayor and a call for sanctions from a US panel on religious freedom.
Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, widely considered the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party, is scheduled to address about 5,000 members of Indian American groups at the city’s iconic Madison Square Garden arena.
Titled “Universal Oneness Celebration,” the event is being organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat speaks during the India International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) event on Aug. 6, 2026, in Mumbai, India.AFP via Getty Images
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at the podium during the Caribbean Heritage Reception on Aug. 28, 2026, at Gracie Mansion in Manhattan.Kevin C. Downs for NY Post
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been a polarizing figure in that country and the diaspora, emerged from the group known as RSS, a right-wing paramilitary group founded a century ago.
Critics have accused the group of promoting the political ideology of Hindutva, which means “the essence of being Hindu,” and seeks to define Indian culture and national identity in terms of Hindu values.
The party and its branches have also been accused of fostering a culture of intolerance and committing human rights violations such as mob lynchings, targeting minority places of worship and razing Muslim-owned properties with bulldozers.
This week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly declared his opposition to the event, labeling RSS ideology as exclusionary and contrary to the pluralistic views of the city.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been a polarizing figure in that country and the diaspora, emerged from the group known as RSS, a right-wing paramilitary group founded a century ago.
Critics have accused the group of promoting the political ideology of Hindutva, which means “the essence of being Hindu,” and seeks to define Indian culture and national identity in terms of Hindu values.
The party and its branches have also been accused of fostering a culture of intolerance and committing human rights violations such as mob lynchings, targeting minority places of worship and razing Muslim-owned properties with bulldozers.
This week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly declared his opposition to the event, labeling RSS ideology as exclusionary and contrary to the pluralistic views of the city.
A View of Approaching Danger
About the time that Living Temple was published, there passed before me in the night season, representations indicating that some danger was approaching, and that I must prepare for it by writing out the things God had revealed to me regarding the foundation principles of our faith. A copy of Living Temple was sent me, but it remained in my library, unread. From the light given me by the Lord, I knew that some of the sentiments advocated in the book did not bear the endorsement of God, and that they were a snare that the enemy had prepared for the last days. I thought that this would surely be discerned, and that it would not be necessary for me to say anything about it.
In the controversy that arose among our brethren regarding the teachings of this book, those in favor of giving it a wide circulation declared: “It contains the very sentiments that Sister White has been teaching.” This assertion struck right to my heart. I felt heartbroken; for I knew that this representation of the matter was not true.
Finally my son said to me, “Mother, you ought to read at least some parts of the book, that you may see whether they are in harmony with the light that God has given you.” He sat down beside me, and together we read the preface, and most of the first chapter, and also paragraphs in other chapters. As we read, I recognized the very sentiments against which I had been bidden to speak in warning during the early days of my public labors. When I first left the State of Maine, it was to go through Vermont and Massachusetts, to bear a testimony against these sentiments. Living Temple contains the alpha of these theories. I knew that the omega would follow in a little while; and I trembled for our people. I knew that I must warn our brethren and sisters not to enter into controversy over the presence and personality of God. The statements made in Living Temple in regard to this point are incorrect. The scripture used to substantiate the doctrine there set forth, is scripture misapplied.
I am compelled to speak in denial of the claim that the teachings of Living Temple can be sustained by statements from my writings. There may be in this book expressions and sentiments that are in harmony with my writings. And there may be in my writings many statements which, taken from their connection, and interpreted according to the mind of the writer of Living Temple, would seem to be in harmony with the teachings of this book. This may give apparent support to the assertion that the sentiments in Living Temple are in harmony with my writings. But God forbid that this sentiment should prevail.
Few can discern the result of entertaining the sophistries advocated by some at this time. But the Lord has lifted the curtain, and has shown me the result that would follow. The spiritualistic theories regarding the personality of God, followed to their logical conclusion, sweep away the whole Christian economy. They estimate as nothing the light that Christ came from heaven to give John to give to His people. They teach that the scenes just before us are not of sufficient importance to be given special attention. They make of no effect the truth of heavenly origin, and rob the people of God of their past experience, giving them instead a false science.
In a vision of the night I was shown distinctly that these sentiments have been looked upon by some as the grand truths that are to be brought in and made prominent at the present time. I was shown a platform, braced by solid timbers—the truths of the Word of God. Someone high in responsibility in the medical work was directing this man and that man to loosen the timbers supporting this platform. Then I heard a voice saying, “Where are the watchmen that ought to be standing on the walls of Zion? Are they asleep? This foundation was built by the Master Worker, and will stand storm and tempest. Will they permit this man to present doctrines that deny the past experience of the people of God? The time has come to take decided action.”
The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they would place their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure.
Who has authority to begin such a movement? We have our Bibles. We have our experience, attested to by the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit. We have a truth that admits of no compromise. Shall we not repudiate everything that is not in harmony with this truth?
I hesitated and delayed about the sending out of that which the Spirit of the Lord impelled me to write. I did not want to be compelled to present the misleading influence of these sophistries. But in the providence of God, the errors that have been coming in must be met.
Selected Messages Book 1, pp.202-205.
US Ambassador to the Vatican meets with Trump, Vance, Rubio
Brian Burch, co-founder of CatholicVote, is serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, discussing with the U.S. political leaders this week ways to work with the Vatican on cultivating peace and religious freedom.
August 27, 2026
U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch met with President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week in Washington, D.C., according to an Aug. 27 statement from the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See.
They met “to discuss how we can partner with the Holy See to promote global peace and religious freedom,” the embassy said in the statement.
Ambassador Burch meets with President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Credit: U.S. in Holy See)
August 27, 2026
U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch met with President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week in Washington, D.C., according to an Aug. 27 statement from the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See.
They met “to discuss how we can partner with the Holy See to promote global peace and religious freedom,” the embassy said in the statement.
Gallagher meets with Putin's advisor and strengthens his contacts with the Moscow Patriarchate
by INFOVATICANA | August 27, 2026
The representative of the Holy See discussed with Yuri Ushakov “current issues on the international agenda” and visited the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where he prayed before the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir. This Thursday, the visit focuses on the Catholic community in Russia.
The visit of Mons. Paul Richard Gallagher to Russia has included in recent hours a meeting with Yuri Ushakov, advisor to Vladimir Putin on foreign policy, and a visit to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, the main church of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Secretariat of State confirmed this Thursday Gallagher’s meeting with Ushakov, scheduled for Wednesday the 26th, and reported that both addressed “current issues on the international agenda”. No further details on the content of the conversation have been provided so far.
The meeting with one of Putin’s top advisors represents the closest contact to the Kremlin within Gallagher’s agenda during his stay in the Russian capital.
It took place after the meeting that the head of Vatican diplomacy held on Tuesday with the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov.
Read also: Gallagher to Lavrov in Moscow: “This war must end”
Gallagher visits the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
The agenda also included a new approach to the Patriarchate of Moscow, following the meeting Gallagher previously held with Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, head of external relations for the Russian Orthodox Church.
Gallagher visited the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, seat of Patriarch Kirill, accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio to Russia, Mons. Giovanni d’Aniello.
The representative of the Holy See was received by Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Vice-Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow.
During a visit lasting more than an hour, Gallagher toured the church and stopped to pray before the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir, one of the Marian images most venerated by Russian Orthodox faithful.
The visit to the cathedral continued the contacts maintained in recent days between the Vatican delegation and the Patriarchate of Moscow.
This Thursday, the agenda focuses on the Catholic community
After the meetings with Russian authorities and contacts with the Patriarchate, Gallagher is dedicating this Thursday, August 27, the final part of his agenda in Moscow to the Catholic community.
The program includes a meeting with priests, religious brothers and sisters, and the celebration of Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Moscow.
Afterwards, the Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations is scheduled to meet with the Catholic bishops of Russia.
Gallagher’s visit, the first he has made to Russia since 2021, will conclude this Friday, August 28 with his return to Rome.
I Went No Contact with My Parents. I Regret It.
A therapist told me my mom and dad were causing all my problems—so I cut them off for five years.
In 2008, Christina Buttons took the advice from her therapist to cut off her parents completely. (Illustration by The Free Press)
By Christina Buttons
08.12.26 —Culture and Ideas
Book reviews, cultural critiques, essays on the zeitgeist, and profiles of the avant-garde.
“We have two adult children, a son aged 30 and a daughter aged 27. We are estranged from them both,” wrote a 60-year-old mom.
“Our oldest son, 27, has gone no contact with our entire family,” wrote a 57-year-old mom.
“It seems like she’s been influenced by the “no contact” movement too common in her generation, which rejects normal parents as toxic,” wrote yet another mom, this one 55, whose daughter doesn’t speak to her.
I’ve read so many messages from people who are desperately sad that their adult children don’t talk to them. That’s because I’m the editor of Tough Love with Abigail Shrier, our weekly advice column, so it’s my job to sort through the letters she gets. You ask: How do you rebuild a relationship with your son when you’ve been cut off? If your daughter’s decided you’re toxic, how do you cope with the pain?
At the heart of these questions is another, even deeper one: How could my own child reject me like this?
In her essay today, Christina Buttons answers that question—explaining why she went no contact with her parents for five years, at the age of 19, and why she’ll always regret it.
If you’re one of the many people who’s told us that your child isn’t speaking to you right now: This is proof that there’s always hope.
—Freya Sanders
***
KTFLive: Prisoners of Hope?
KTFLive: Prisoners of Hope?
Keep the Faith Ministry
Streamed live on Aug 1, 2026 KTF Live
The parallels between the ancient storm and the lessons for us today are striking. As we discuss this compelling topic, we will see amazing detail about how the flood occured from scripture and commonly understood science. Join us as we delve into this eye-opening subject.
Friday, August 28, 2026
Iran security chief threatens neighbors against economic measures,..
Image: Akbar Nemati from unsplash.com
Pastor Hal Mayer
Speaker / Director
Iran security chief threatens neighbors against economic measures, and other Mideast developments
Iran security chief threatens neighbors against economic measures, and other Mideast developments
Tuesday August 25th, 2026
AP News, by Angela Charlton: The new leader of Iran’s top security body is threatening neighbors against joining new U.S. efforts to squeeze Tehran’s economy. Egypt is trying to revive Iran-U.S. negotiations. And Iraq and Iran say Tehran has helped some ships carrying Iraqi oil to transit the Strait of Hormuz. France and Saudi Arabia are expected to discuss plans to bypass the waterway.
Meanwhile, Israel has carried out strikes in Syria and in Gaza.
Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Saturday. Full coverage can be found here.
Iran’s new top security adviser issues threats
The hard-line new leader of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council threatened Tehran’s neighbors against joining the new U.S. effort to hurt Iran’s economy, and accused the United States of increasing global nuclear insecurity with months of war.
“If (Trump) wants to do something, we will retaliate in a seismic manner,” he said in an interview with the state broadcaster that aired Saturday.
Mohsen Rezaei was named this month as part of senior appointments widely seen as hardening Tehran’s political and military stance. His interview with IRIB is his most extensive public statement since then.
Rezaei said Iran would target oil-shipping routes out of the Persian Gulf — alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz — if neighbors join what he described as the economic war against Iran. Those neighbors would be considered enemies and “we will target their interests,” he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump in the past week has vowed to increase Iran’s pain by imposing an “unprecedented” level of economic warfare and isolation. Iran has lived under sanctions for years.
The Tri-Abrahamic Dialogue on the Climate Crisis
August 11, 2026
Register for the second webinar of The Tri-Abrahamic Dialogue on the Climate Crisis: What Do Our Faiths Demand?, Sacred Guidance for a Planet in Crisis: A Call to Justice, Compassion, and Hope on Thursday, September 3 at 2:00 pm Central.
This dialogue will explore what key faith teachings and documents—including Laudato Si’, Laudate Deum, Al-Mizan: A Covenant for the Earth, and important Jewish teachings on creation and justice—can teach us about a just and faithful response to the climate crisis. The webinar seeks to foster a deeper understanding, shared moral responsibility, and collaborative action among Christians, Muslims, and Jews to address the urgent challenges facing our common home. This event is provided in partnership with the First Analysis Institute of Integrative Studies.
Speakers include:Imam Saffet Catovic
Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv.
Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin
Moderated by Erin Lothes.
Click here to register.
Posted in:
Blog, Climate Action, Community Events
Register for the second webinar of The Tri-Abrahamic Dialogue on the Climate Crisis: What Do Our Faiths Demand?, Sacred Guidance for a Planet in Crisis: A Call to Justice, Compassion, and Hope on Thursday, September 3 at 2:00 pm Central.
This dialogue will explore what key faith teachings and documents—including Laudato Si’, Laudate Deum, Al-Mizan: A Covenant for the Earth, and important Jewish teachings on creation and justice—can teach us about a just and faithful response to the climate crisis. The webinar seeks to foster a deeper understanding, shared moral responsibility, and collaborative action among Christians, Muslims, and Jews to address the urgent challenges facing our common home. This event is provided in partnership with the First Analysis Institute of Integrative Studies.
Speakers include:Imam Saffet Catovic
Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv.
Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin
Moderated by Erin Lothes.
Click here to register.
Posted in:
Blog, Climate Action, Community Events
Thursday, August 27, 2026
In Latin America, Democratic Socialists Are the Toast of the Party
The success of progressive candidates in the United States is inspiring leftists abroad struggling under pressure from the Trump administration and its allies.
Participants at the Panamerican Congress on Saturday in Montevideo, Uruguay.Credit...
By Jack Nicas
Photographs by Anita Pouchard Serra
Reporting from Montevideo, Uruguay
Aug. 27, 2026
Leer en español
Left-wing politicians from across the Western Hemisphere gathered in Uruguay this past weekend to lick their wounds from a string of election losses and strategize on how to counter growing aggression from the Trump administration.
There were ex-presidents and expected presidential contenders, national lawmakers and campaign strategists, best-selling authors and protest leaders. But perhaps the toast of the weekend — viewed by the group as the inspiration for a path forward — were the democratic socialists from the United States, fresh off their primary victories.
Darializa Avila Chevalier is a democratic socialist and candidate for the House in New York’s 13th Congressional District.
Those candidates — Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez of New York, Chris Rabb of Pennsylvania and Dr. Adam Hamawy of New Jersey — were all special guests at the Panamerican Congress in Montevideo, an annual meeting of leftist political leaders from across the Americas. (Dr. Hamawy identifies as progressive but not democratic socialist.)
They received a standing ovation, were asked for selfies and were repeatedly cited by fellow attendees as examples on how the left can succeed in the current political moment.
Claire Valdez, a democratic socialist assemblywoman and close ally of Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York, is a candidate for the House in the city’s 13th Congressional District.
Their victories “give us hope that if this can be fought from within, it can also be fought from the outside,” said Gabriel Boric, the former president of Chile, who was succeeded in March by a hard-right politician aligned with President Trump.
Mr. Boric, 40, a former protest leader, said the left had been failing to make the case to the working class that it was best positioned to help them, but the democratic socialists in the United States were showing they could.
“There is a tendency in our movement to constantly talk about the right and all the evils it represents, instead of convincing and giving hope to the people,” he said in an interview. “Now that debate is happening in the United States.”
Their victories “give us hope that if this can be fought from within, it can also be fought from the outside,” said Gabriel Boric, the former president of Chile, who was succeeded in March by a hard-right politician aligned with President Trump.
Mr. Boric, 40, a former protest leader, said the left had been failing to make the case to the working class that it was best positioned to help them, but the democratic socialists in the United States were showing they could.
“There is a tendency in our movement to constantly talk about the right and all the evils it represents, instead of convincing and giving hope to the people,” he said in an interview. “Now that debate is happening in the United States.”
Tech billionaire Peter Thiel takes on popes, delves into end-times theology
Peter Thiel speaks with attendees at the 2022 Converge Tech Summit in Scottsdale, Ariz. (Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore)
by Brian Fraga
Staff Reporter
July 15, 2026
In the last two weeks, the billionaire venture tech capitalist Peter Thiel has accused Pope Leo XIV of being a Chinese communist agent and insinuated in the pages of a prominent interreligious journal that Pope Francis was an Antichrist figure.
Thiel, a co-founder of Palantir and PayPal who has risen to prominence as a conservative political activist, has articulated an apocalyptic worldview that he says is consistent with traditional Christian theology but that his critics say is more aligned with Cold War-era geopolitics.
His interest in end times theology was even lampooned in the recently completed 28th season of "South Park," where Thiel was portrayed as a biblical prophecy expert, equipped with his own theme song, who speaks on the end of days to an elementary school assembly.
Thiel's stated concerns that the Antichrist will be manifested by a one-world government or by Luddites who aim to stop or slow technological progress was a subtext in several provocative comments he made at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado on June 30.
As reported by CNN, Thiel delivered a series of dire warnings and predictions about the future of artificial intelligence and the West, even accusing Pope Leo XIV of inadvertently serving as a "Chinese communist agent" because of the pontiff's calls for AI to be regulated.
According to Thiel's logic, while Leo's recent encyclical on artificial intelligence, Magnifica Humanitas, may influence American policymakers, it is unlikely that Chinese leaders will heed the document's warnings.
Thiel argued that the encyclical threatens to slow down only one side of the "race between the U.S. and China" to advance AI. Leo, Thiel surmised, is thus "working for the Chinese Communists." CNN reported that the Aspen audience responded with laughter.
While it garnered chuckles, Thiel's comments about Leo revealed a Cold War mentality taken to a new intense level, said Massimo Faggioli, a theologian and church historian at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.
Hurricane Dolly? Next tropical storm developing in Atlantic with poorly timed name
Updated: Aug. 27, 2026, 6:27 a.m.
|Published: Aug. 27, 2026, 6:26 a.m.
|Published: Aug. 27, 2026, 6:26 a.m.
Dolly Parton presents the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
By Geoff Herbert | gherbert@syracuse.com
A new tropical storm is developing in the Atlantic that could be named, unfortunately, “Hurricane Dolly.”
WCAX reports a tropical cyclone appears likely to develop in the Atlantic basin within the next few days. The weather development is being monitored as it has a “high chance” of developing into a tropical storm or hurricane within the next two to seven days.
The storm will be named Dolly as it is the next name on the 2026 list of Atlantic hurricanes. Different names are used to identify different storms during hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
That means Tropical Storm Dolly or Hurricane Dolly could emerge less than a week after the death of Dolly Parton. The beloved country singer, actress and philanthropist died Tuesday at age 80.
“If it becomes a hurricane, it should be a category 9 to 5,” one Facebook user joked.
“She’s going after Jolene,” another commented.
“I would prefer a star be named after her so she could sparkle down on all of us,” a third wrote.
While it may seem like unfortunate timing, “Dolly” was chosen for the list of hurricane names six years ago. The World Meteorological Organization chooses the names, which are recycled every six years.
By Geoff Herbert | gherbert@syracuse.com
A new tropical storm is developing in the Atlantic that could be named, unfortunately, “Hurricane Dolly.”
WCAX reports a tropical cyclone appears likely to develop in the Atlantic basin within the next few days. The weather development is being monitored as it has a “high chance” of developing into a tropical storm or hurricane within the next two to seven days.
The storm will be named Dolly as it is the next name on the 2026 list of Atlantic hurricanes. Different names are used to identify different storms during hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
That means Tropical Storm Dolly or Hurricane Dolly could emerge less than a week after the death of Dolly Parton. The beloved country singer, actress and philanthropist died Tuesday at age 80.
“If it becomes a hurricane, it should be a category 9 to 5,” one Facebook user joked.
“She’s going after Jolene,” another commented.
“I would prefer a star be named after her so she could sparkle down on all of us,” a third wrote.
While it may seem like unfortunate timing, “Dolly” was chosen for the list of hurricane names six years ago. The World Meteorological Organization chooses the names, which are recycled every six years.
The Gospel We Forgot
iStock/artplus
The world needs formed, not just informed, believers.
07/21/26
John StonestreetandS. Michael Craven
In many churches, Christianity has been reduced, not necessarily to something false or heretical, but to something much smaller than it is.
Even our understanding of the church’s mission—to exalt Christ, edify believers, and evangelize the lost—are understood in ways that confine Christianity. Worship only happens on Sunday mornings. Discipleship is the acquisition of biblical knowledge or the process of becoming more moral. Evangelism is about securing decisions for Christ.
These are all good things but not the whole story. That’s why Christianity is often highly visible inside the church but largely absent from where people spend most of their lives. When faith is separated from work, worship is disconnected from vocation, discipleship unrelated to culture, and salvation irrelevant to the wider world, Christianity has been privatized.
This would have puzzled the earliest Christians. The New Testament authors constantly present Christ as not only the Savior of souls but as the Lord of heaven and earth. The Apostle Paul declared that all things were created through Him and for Him, and that in Him all things hold together. Christ’s reign extends over every square inch of reality.
If that’s true, then worship cannot be confined to a sanctuary. Worship is how we conduct our business, raise our children, care for our neighbors, create art, pursue justice, engage politics, and steward any part of creation. To exalt Christ is to live under His lordship wherever He has placed us. To disciple believers is about more than knowing Bible facts. It is about transformation.
Paul urged believers to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. That kind of formation reshapes not only what we think about the Bible but how we understand reality itself. It teaches us to see the world through the lens of God’s Kingdom, and to see God’s Kingdom as the reality about the world we live in.
This kind of formation is desperately needed today. After all, we’re all being discipled by something. Something is forming our loves, our habits, and our assumptions. If these things are not being shaped by the Holy Spirit through Scripture, it is being shaped by the surrounding culture. A Christian who understands justification but thinks about sexuality, identity, work, technology, politics, or human flourishing in essentially secular terms has not yet been fully formed. The Church’s task is to cultivate believers whose entire lives bear witness to the reality that Jesus Christ is Lord.
In the same way, evangelism is not a single transaction. Jesus did not command His followers to make converts. He commanded them to make disciples, teaching them to obey everything He had commanded.
The world needs formed, not just informed, believers.
07/21/26
John StonestreetandS. Michael Craven
In many churches, Christianity has been reduced, not necessarily to something false or heretical, but to something much smaller than it is.
Even our understanding of the church’s mission—to exalt Christ, edify believers, and evangelize the lost—are understood in ways that confine Christianity. Worship only happens on Sunday mornings. Discipleship is the acquisition of biblical knowledge or the process of becoming more moral. Evangelism is about securing decisions for Christ.
These are all good things but not the whole story. That’s why Christianity is often highly visible inside the church but largely absent from where people spend most of their lives. When faith is separated from work, worship is disconnected from vocation, discipleship unrelated to culture, and salvation irrelevant to the wider world, Christianity has been privatized.
This would have puzzled the earliest Christians. The New Testament authors constantly present Christ as not only the Savior of souls but as the Lord of heaven and earth. The Apostle Paul declared that all things were created through Him and for Him, and that in Him all things hold together. Christ’s reign extends over every square inch of reality.
If that’s true, then worship cannot be confined to a sanctuary. Worship is how we conduct our business, raise our children, care for our neighbors, create art, pursue justice, engage politics, and steward any part of creation. To exalt Christ is to live under His lordship wherever He has placed us. To disciple believers is about more than knowing Bible facts. It is about transformation.
Paul urged believers to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. That kind of formation reshapes not only what we think about the Bible but how we understand reality itself. It teaches us to see the world through the lens of God’s Kingdom, and to see God’s Kingdom as the reality about the world we live in.
This kind of formation is desperately needed today. After all, we’re all being discipled by something. Something is forming our loves, our habits, and our assumptions. If these things are not being shaped by the Holy Spirit through Scripture, it is being shaped by the surrounding culture. A Christian who understands justification but thinks about sexuality, identity, work, technology, politics, or human flourishing in essentially secular terms has not yet been fully formed. The Church’s task is to cultivate believers whose entire lives bear witness to the reality that Jesus Christ is Lord.
In the same way, evangelism is not a single transaction. Jesus did not command His followers to make converts. He commanded them to make disciples, teaching them to obey everything He had commanded.
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Ads and tracking infiltrated TVs. Now they’re coming for monitors.
Monitor vendors are playing with fire.
Scharon Harding – Aug 24, 2026 4:17 PM
Credit: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Consumer CheckpointThe tech products we rely on are constantly changing. Sometimes those changes bring improvements; other times, they frustrate users or make beloved products worse.
Each month, we’ll examine the biggest controversial changes to tech products: what changed, why it’s happening, how users are affected, and how companies can do better.
Ads and tracking have turned TVs into privacy nightmares. Both are so widespread among smart TVs that I’ve written a guide for avoiding them. One recommendation in that guide is to use a computer monitor. But in recent years, monitors have become more capable of pushing ads and tracking users.
Without more straightforward approaches from vendors, such as easily comprehensible privacy policies and avoiding inappropriate ads, monitors are dangerously encroaching into smart-TV-like territory.
Congressman García Participates in the Third Panamerican Congress
Congressman García Participates in the Third Panamerican Congress
August 24, 2026
Press Release
Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) participated in the Third Panamerican Congress that took place from Friday, Aug. 21, through Sunday, Aug. 23. The opening day began with a press conference and an opening ceremony at Uruguay’s Legislative Palace led by Uruguayan Vice President Carolina Cosse. The gatherings’ first closed-door working session started right after.
That afternoon, a public event entitled “This Is America” brought together more than 600 people to the historic Teatro Solís. Former Chilean President Gabriel Boric, former Colombian President Gustavo Petro, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof, former Uruguayan Vice President Lucía Topolansky, former Chilean presidential candidate Jeannette Jara and former Chilean government spokesperson Camila Vallejo were among the progressive leaders from across the Americas who shared their visions for the region’s future.
On Saturday, delegations continued with additional closed-door working sessions and workshops on emerging issues, including the defense of democracy, the new global economy and cybersecurity.
The Third Panamerican Congress concluded Sunday with a closing session at the MERCOSUR Parliament, or Parlasur, in Montevideo. The parliamentary forum of democratic forces across the Americas brought together more than 150 lawmakers, former presidents, ministers and political leaders from 15 countries. Participants reviewed the outcomes of the working sessions held in Montevideo and announced Brazil as the next host country of the fourth Panamerican Congress in 2027.
The closing session began with presentations of the conclusions from four working groups focused on peace, multilateralism and security; sustainable economic development and regional integration; digital sovereignty and artificial intelligence; and well-being and care for the majority. Lawmakers agreed that the hemisphere’s challenges—from financial coercion and weaponized sanctions to concentrated technological power and the erosion of traditional welfare systems—require coordinated regional action rather than fragmented national responses.
Participants from the United States included a Congressional delegation led by U.S. Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7), and Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL-04).
U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García said members of the U.S. delegation share the Congress’ vision.
“Those of us who serve in the United States Congress share the vision of this Panamerican Congress,” García said. “I believe winning back the majority in Congress can open space to change U.S. policy toward the region and the Global South. We will center working-class well-being, respect for human rights and respect for the sovereignty of Latin American nations.”
Pope Leo appoints Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly to Vatican dicastery
written by Courtney Mares 3:05 PM August 25, 2026
Pope Leo XIV meets with Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly of the Knights of Columbus Oct. 6, 2025, during an audience with a Knights delegation at the Vatican. On Aug. 25, 2026, Pope Leo appointed Kelly as a member of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
(OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV on Aug. 25 appointed the Knights of Columbus’ Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly as a member of the Vatican Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.
Kelly has served as the supreme Knight and CEO of the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization since 2021. The Knights of Columbus have 2.1 million members throughout the world.
“I am deeply grateful to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for appointing me as a member of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life,” Kelly said following the Vatican’s announcement.
“Since our founding by Blessed Michael McGivney in 1882, the Knights of Columbus has been dedicated to strengthening Catholic laymen in the faith, to supporting Catholic family life and to building up a culture of life,” he added. “I look forward to supporting this vital work of the Catholic Church.”
As a member of the Vatican dicastery, Kelly will contribute to the dicastery’s mission of enhancing the apostolate of the lay faithful, the pastoral care of young people and the mission of the family according to God’s plan. The dicastery is also dedicated to the promotion and protection of life and the dignity of the elderly.
About 2 dozen serve as members of dicastery
About two dozen people, including cardinals, married lay couples and scholars from around the world, currently serve as members of the laity dicastery. Kelly will join fellow American members Helen Alvaré, lecturer at the George Mason University School of Law, and Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington. The role does not require members to move to Rome.
Pope Francis established the dicastery in 2016, combining the responsibilities of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, the former bishop of Dallas, has served as the prefect of the dicastery since its founding.
The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life plays a key role in organizing World Youth Day, the next which is scheduled to take place in Seoul, South Korea, Aug. 3-8, 2027. The dicastery also organizes the World Meeting of Families and the annual World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
CIA director makes an unannounced trip to Moscow for talks, source says
NBC News
Aug 25, 2026
The CIA director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced flight to Moscow for talks, according to a source. This is Ratcliffe's first trip to Moscow since he began his tenure as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency.
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CIA Director Suddenly In Moscow As NATO Prepares For Russian Attack
Rebel HQ
Aug 25, 2026
Watch: Ukraine Pounds Russia, Prompting Angry Putin To Threaten U.K.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a rare, unannounced trip to Moscow for meetings with Russian officials, raising questions about what the Trump administration is discussing behind closed doors. The mysterious visit comes as U.S.-brokered efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine remain stalled and tensions between Washington and Moscow continue to run high. David Shuster breaks it down on Rebel HQ.
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Why the CIA chief might have made a secret Moscow visit | DW News
DW News
Aug 25, 2026
Reports in US media suggest that America's top spy, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, made a rare, unannounced trip to Moscow on Tuesday. Neither the CIA nor the Kremlin has commented on the reports. If confirmed, it would be Ratcliffe's first known visit to Russia since becoming CIA Director, and the highest-level intelligence trip between the two countries since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. So what could be behind this mysterious mission? DW speaks to Russia analyst Angela Stent to explore the possible reasons for the trip.
Jeffries defends himself following criticism for meeting with Jared Kushner
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner. Getty Images
By Kaanita Iyer
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is defending himself after facing some criticism over his meeting with Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser.
Jeffries recently met with Kushner privately in New York to discuss ways the White House can collaborate with Democrats on key issues, such as immigration, housing and the cost of living, a source familiar with the meeting told CNN.
The minority leader said Tuesday on CNN’s “The Situation Room,” “We have a responsibility to solve problems and sometimes that means meeting with people on the other side of the aisle to figure out what the opportunities will be in order to address the things that the American people definitively want us to address, which from our standpoint, is the reality that the cost of living in this country is way too high.”
When asked by Wolf Blitzer if anything was accomplished in the meeting, Jeffries said, “No, it was just a high-level, topical conversation.”
In an earlier video post on X, Jeffries said that Kushner “asked for a meeting, and I took it to discuss the affordability crisis that exists that is not a hoax.”
“No one is going to get a pass. We’re going to hold every single member of the Trump cartel accountable, beginning on Day 1,” he continued, going on to tout the ways House Democrats have challenged the Trump administration.
He told CNN on Tuesday that he hasn’t ruled out impeaching Trump if Democrats win back the majority in the House.
Jeffries has emerged as a vocal opponent of Trump in the president’s second term. He has repeatedly insisted that Democrats are focused on lowering costs for Americans, which he says have been driven up by the president’s policies.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe on secret trip in Russia
By Jennifer Jacobs, Olivia Gazis, James LaPorta
Updated on: August 25, 2026 / 11:08 AM EDT / CBS News
CIA Director John Ratcliffe is in Moscow, Russia, for meetings, sources familiar with the situation told CBS News on Tuesday.
News of his trip comes after a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III transport plane was spotted at a Moscow airport, along with a U.S. diplomatic motorcade. Neither the U.S. nor Russian governments has commented on the identity of the U.S. official in Russia or the purpose of the visit.
The CIA did not immediately comment.
It appears to be Ratcliffe's first known trip to Russia as CIA director, though he has maintained contact with Russian intelligence counterparts.
The CIA has also played a role in recent U.S.-Russia detainee exchanges, including the April 2025 release of a U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Karelina, whose case Ratcliffe personally negotiated. The agency was also involved in the 2024 prisoner exchange that secured the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan.
Former CIA Director William Burns traveled to Moscow in November 2021, when he met with senior Russian officials and spoke directly with President Vladimir Putin to warn him against invading Ukraine.
Ratcliffe's visit comes as U.S.-mediated peace talks with Ukraine remain mostly stalled, with the sides still far apart on core issues.
The Privilege of White: Why Only Seven Royal Women Are Allowed to Wear This Rare Color Before the Pope
Why some queens wear white and others must keep to black for papal audiences.
For most leaders or representatives, the protocol is simple: conservative, modest, black attire. For women, this is often a dress that falls below the knees and has full-length or three-quarters-length sleeves. A veil or mantilla is also worn. For men, a dark-colored suit and tie are expected. However, for a very small number of women — seven, to be exact — it’s all right to wear white, a color that is typically frowned upon in front of the Pope.
These seven women are Catholic queens and princesses who have been granted il privilegio del bianco (privilege of white), and are allowed to wear long-sleeved white dresses and an optional white veil or mantilla. These royal women include Queen Sofía and Queen Letizia of Spain; Queen Mathilde and Queen Paola of Belgium; Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg; Princess Charlene of Monaco; and Princess Marina of Savoy.
However, being a Catholic queen or princess isn’t enough to be given the rare privilege. They must also be a part of marriages or countries that are traditionally Catholic. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands was raised as a Roman Catholic, and remains one to this day. But her husband, King Willem-Alexander, is Protestant, as is his family and their three children. Therefore, she is not allowed to wear white.
Another point that is taken into account is how far back the Queen or Princess’s country’s ties to the Catholic Church go. Spain‘s ties to Catholicism go far back, as do those of Belgium and Luxembourg. Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho and the Princess of Liechtenstein are both Catholic, but have not been granted the honor of wearing white by the Vatican.
On March 28, Pope Leo XIV visited Monaco, and many were quick to point out that Princess Charlene wasn’t the only royal wearing white; 11-year-old Princess Gabriella was, too. While chances are she will also be granted the same privilege as her mother when she’s an adult, for now, it’s just as likely that she was exercising her privilege of being a child.
Mar 31, 2026 5:37 PM EDT
- Most leaders meeting the Pope must wear modest, black attire following strict protocol.
- Only seven Catholic queens or princesses may wear white, via "il privilegio del bianco."
- Eligibility depends on royal status, Catholic tradition, and historical church ties.
For most leaders or representatives, the protocol is simple: conservative, modest, black attire. For women, this is often a dress that falls below the knees and has full-length or three-quarters-length sleeves. A veil or mantilla is also worn. For men, a dark-colored suit and tie are expected. However, for a very small number of women — seven, to be exact — it’s all right to wear white, a color that is typically frowned upon in front of the Pope.
These seven women are Catholic queens and princesses who have been granted il privilegio del bianco (privilege of white), and are allowed to wear long-sleeved white dresses and an optional white veil or mantilla. These royal women include Queen Sofía and Queen Letizia of Spain; Queen Mathilde and Queen Paola of Belgium; Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg; Princess Charlene of Monaco; and Princess Marina of Savoy.
However, being a Catholic queen or princess isn’t enough to be given the rare privilege. They must also be a part of marriages or countries that are traditionally Catholic. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands was raised as a Roman Catholic, and remains one to this day. But her husband, King Willem-Alexander, is Protestant, as is his family and their three children. Therefore, she is not allowed to wear white.
Another point that is taken into account is how far back the Queen or Princess’s country’s ties to the Catholic Church go. Spain‘s ties to Catholicism go far back, as do those of Belgium and Luxembourg. Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho and the Princess of Liechtenstein are both Catholic, but have not been granted the honor of wearing white by the Vatican.
On March 28, Pope Leo XIV visited Monaco, and many were quick to point out that Princess Charlene wasn’t the only royal wearing white; 11-year-old Princess Gabriella was, too. While chances are she will also be granted the same privilege as her mother when she’s an adult, for now, it’s just as likely that she was exercising her privilege of being a child.
The Progressive Nature of the Kingdom
Chapter five
What in the World
The Progressive Nature of the Kingdom
Chapter five
“first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear” Mk.4:28.
What in the World
The Progressive Nature of the Kingdom
Chapter five
“first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear” Mk.4:28.
Aug 25
Introduction
The Bible teaches that God always intended that his Kingdom would develop and grow. We have the illustration of God finding an abandoned newborn infant. And God taking the helpless, child said:
“Yes, I said to you while you were there in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you (Israel) multiply like plants [which grow] in the field, and you grew up and became tall and you reached the age for [weaning] Eze.16:6, 7. Amplified Bible.
And under God’s loving care the child becomes an example to the world. Initially God was pleased with the result - “Then your fame went out among the nations on account of yo’ur beauty, for it was perfect because of My majesty and splendor which I bestowed on you,” says the Lord God” Eze. 16:14. Amplified Bible
God strategically placed his creation where it would receive the maximum attention “Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her” (Eze. 5:5). God wanted the nations to witness how he was going to develop and prosper Israel, so that they would be drawn to his people and want to become a part of Israel - God intended Israel to be the salt of the earth and a light upon a hill.
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. Isa. 60: 1-7
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord‘s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. Isa. 2:1-3.
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. Jer. 3:17…. And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it. Jer. 3:17; 33: 7-9.
Introduction
The Bible teaches that God always intended that his Kingdom would develop and grow. We have the illustration of God finding an abandoned newborn infant. And God taking the helpless, child said:
“Yes, I said to you while you were there in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you (Israel) multiply like plants [which grow] in the field, and you grew up and became tall and you reached the age for [weaning] Eze.16:6, 7. Amplified Bible.
And under God’s loving care the child becomes an example to the world. Initially God was pleased with the result - “Then your fame went out among the nations on account of yo’ur beauty, for it was perfect because of My majesty and splendor which I bestowed on you,” says the Lord God” Eze. 16:14. Amplified Bible
God strategically placed his creation where it would receive the maximum attention “Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her” (Eze. 5:5). God wanted the nations to witness how he was going to develop and prosper Israel, so that they would be drawn to his people and want to become a part of Israel - God intended Israel to be the salt of the earth and a light upon a hill.
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. Isa. 60: 1-7
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord‘s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. Isa. 2:1-3.
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. Jer. 3:17…. And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it. Jer. 3:17; 33: 7-9.
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