Two-thirds of Americans surveyed in a June 1-15 Gallup poll say the cost of fuel has caused financial hardship for their household, similar to the level recorded when gas prices were similarly high in 2022 and at other times over the past two decades when gas prices were elevated — especially 2005, 2008 and 2011.

Although most people are feeling the pinch from high fuel prices, 17% of those experiencing financial hardship because of high gas prices call it “severe.” That is slightly lower than the 22% found four years ago.

Gallup’s trended data suggest that Americans are especially sensitive to average pump prices reaching new levels — often widely reported in the news. Each time a new threshold has been crossed for a sustained period, the share of Americans reporting financial hardship has risen sharply. This includes when prices went above $2 per gallon in 2005, above $3.50 in 2008, above $3.75 in 2011 and above $4 in 2022.

Read it all.

Gas Prices Hitting Americans' Finances, Travel Plans https://t.co/ddsER2mq8P

— Todd Nicolini Insights (@InsightsTodd) June 25, 2026

Eternal God, we give thanks for the gifts that thou didst bestow upon thy servant James Weldon Johnson: a heart and voice to praise thy Name in verse. As he gave us powerful words to glorify you, may we also speak with joy and boldness to banish hatred from thy creation, in the Name of Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Born today in 1871: James Weldon Johnson, author of "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing." This portrait is by the Scurlock Studio of D.C. pic.twitter.com/8SLoPCj81Q

— National Museum of American History (@amhistorymuseum) June 17, 2017

The Episcopal Church is selling or leasing its legendary headquarters building in New York city, from whose perch its Presiding Bishops long ruled and resided in a penthouse apartment overlooking the Manhattan skyline. One former presiding bishop reputedly decorated the penthouse all in white, which allegedly matched her chilly personality, provoking snarly critics to deride her as the “white witch.”

This sale could be seen as a metaphor for the collapse of liberal Protestantism, if any more metaphors are needed. More widely, it illustrates the collapse of institutional religion in America, liberal or not.

Mainline Protestant denominations have been pulling their headquarters and agencies from New York for decades. The United Church of Christ quit New York in 1990 for a new headquarters building in Cleveland, which it sold in 2022 for smaller rental space a mile away. The Presbyterian Church (USA) headquarters quit New York in 1988 for Louisville, Kentucky. United Methodism’s largest agency, the General Board of Global Ministries, quit New York in 2016 for Atlanta. The National Council of Churches quit New York in 2013 for Washington, DC.

The Episcopal church across sixty years has lost 56 percent of its members.

Read it all.

The Episcopal Church is selling or leasing its legendary headquarters building in New York city. This sale could be seen as a metaphor for the collapse of liberal Protestantism, if any more metaphors are needed. More widely, it illustrates the collapse of institutional religion… https://t.co/DO0XWOaaIg

— @markdtooley (@markdtooley) June 24, 2026

Dear God our Father,

Grant us by your Holy Spirit grace to contend fearlessly against evil and to make no peace with oppression.

Help us, like those generations before us who resisted the evil of slavery and human bondage in any form and any manner of oppression.

Enable us to use our freedoms to bring justice among people and nations everywhere to the glory of your holy name through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (modified form of a prayer from the Evangelical Lutheran Church Association–KSH.)

19 June 1865. US government announced the abolition of slavery in Texas and for slaves in the former Confederate States. It’s now known as “Juneteenth Independence Day” or “Freedom Day” and is an American holiday observed in 45 American states. pic.twitter.com/qht8fZxC5b

— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) June 19, 2026

The news is full of how an ignominious peace deal with Iran exemplifies a decline in American power. That conclusion could hardly be more wrong. On June 12th the Trump administration ordered Anthropic to block foreigners from Fable and Mythos, its latest and most capable frontier AI models. In an instant, everyone learned that the American government can decide who may use the world’s most important technology. You don’t get much more powerful than that.

The administration was responding to a supposed jailbreak for Fable, meaning a prompt that circumvents defences against uses such as hacking computers or making bioweapons. The chances are that it wanted Anthropic to switch off the models for everyone, and that targeting foreigners was a means to an end. Sure enough, that is what Anthropic did, while claiming that the concern about its model was overblown. The legal basis of the order remains unclear, and the ban seems unlikely to last.

What matters, though, is the demonstration that global access to the best AI may come down to a decision in the Oval Office. The administration showed in March that it is prepared to trample on the frontier AI companies, when it designated Anthropic a “supply-chain risk”. Now it has shown that it is prepared to trample on users, too.

America must decide how to wield this vast new power. The rest of the world must decide what to do about it. Even as it plans for an unreliable America in everything from defence to trade, it now has to cope with a new way of being captive to the world’s biggest economy.

Read it all.

Even as the world plans for an unreliable America in everything from defence to trade, it now has to cope with America’s dominance in AI https://t.co/xrMSKZAFWb

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) June 18, 2026

The Christian faith is by nature conservative—in a theological sense. The Scriptures are replete with verses pointing to the unchanging and enduring nature of God and the Bible. Revelation 1:8 says, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty’” (ESV throughout). Malachi 3:6 says, “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” These verses do not mean that the biblical text cannot be distorted or manipulated by self-serving people, but it does mean that the Bible is not a party platform that gets updated every four years.

Thankfully, there are countless others who are faithfully preaching and teaching God’s word. These congregations are often small and do not receive any media attention. Many are led by pastors more concerned with preparing their members for eternity in heaven than getting souls to the polls on Election Day. Some of these churches have vibrant ministries for men, women, and families. They are committed to remaining faithful to biblical ethics regarding sex, sexuality, marriage, family, and the sanctity of life without any concern for whether elected Democrats—or Republicans—agree.

Liberation-minded pastors who reject the biblical definitions and descriptions of sex and marriage are incapable of doing the work needed to rebuild the Black family. They fashion themselves as brave prophets, but they make race and politics twin idols that draw their hearts—and pulpits—away from God.

Christians are often told to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. That is wise counsel, but what’s even more dangerous is a wolf in shepherd’s clothing. The former can devour a few sheep before the others scatter, but the latter can lead an entire flock over a cliff.

One ray of hope is the biblical theme of God’s mercy on those who turn from their wicked ways and trust him. The pattern in both the Old and New Testaments is quite familiar. God’s people rebel. He rebukes them. They reflect on their sin and repent. He restores them. This is my prayer because the Black family needs the church to function in its God-given role now more than ever.

Read it all.

“Instead, liberation theology has transformed the Black church from a religious institution dedicated to the pursuit of righteousness to the religious wing of the Democratic Party.”https://t.co/Bh1V8SBXWw

— TheQueenofLA 🇺🇸 (@Queenofla2) June 17, 2026

To the cynical eye, the first felt ever so slightly soft. Lionel Messi’s effort was good, rather than great. It was not quite in the corner. As he dived, Luca Zidane, the Algeria goalkeeper, seemed to have it within reach, only to misjudge his timing, his stretch, or possibly his chosen profession. The ball brushed his fingers as it sailed past.

The second, too, was a bit of a gift. Zidane failed to hold Alexis Mac Allister’s stinging shot. The ball squirmed away from him, and there was Messi again, ambling in, dropping his shoulder so nonchalantly he might almost have been bored, and effortlessly leaving Zidane – yes, son of – stranded with the rebound.

If you were that way inclined, it would still have been possible at that stage to believe all of the things we have decided we know about Messi. This is a World Cup too far. He has been in a “retirement league” since 2023, going through the motions. He is nearly 39. At his age, he is a cross between Argentina’s mascot and a very convincing tribute act. Like all living things, his genius has tended toward entropy. 

And then he scored the third. The third was the Messi goal, the one that he has been scoring for 20 years or more, the one that is so familiar it is almost a waste of words to describe it. Messi has the ball 25 yards out from goal. Messi takes one touch to set himself, a second to open up his body, and a third to whip a shot past Zidane’s outstretched arms. 

Read it all.

🚨 Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Lionel Messi's goal against Algeria:

🗣️ Zlatan Ibrahimovic:

I don't think there's a goalkeeper in the world saving that finish. When Messi decides that's where the ball is going, it's over.

People keep asking how he's still doing this at his age. My… pic.twitter.com/PwfRkGZQmd

— Sage (@Sage_FCB) June 17, 2026

Most U.S. adults (65%) say it would be positive for society if more Americans were religious, although that is down from an even larger majority of 75% when Gallup last asked the question in 2013. Twenty-two percent currently say greater religiosity would be negative for society, while the remainder think it would be neither or do not have an opinion.

The results are from Gallup’s Values and Beliefs survey, conducted May 1-17.

Belief that religion would have a positive effect has shrunk since 2013 among most key demographic and political groups — the exceptions being Republicans, Catholics and those without a religious preference. Democrats, young adults, women and those with some college education are the groups who show the largest changes compared with 2013.

Read it all.

Most U.S. adults (65%) say it would be positive for society if more Americans were religious, although that is down from an even larger majority of 75% when Gallup last asked the question in 2013.

22% currently say greater religiosity would be negative for society, while the… pic.twitter.com/nZDN8AV4Z4

— Gallup (@Gallup) June 16, 2026

For his part, while Hamilton favored a more active role for government in promoting commerce, his ultimate aim was almost the same as Jefferson’s: securing the rights proclaimed in the Declaration. But by enhancing commerce, Hamilton aspired to enable ordinary Americans to emulate his path of rising to prosperity through their own initiative and industry.  

Both men would surely have been horrified by the enormous and intrusive bureaucracy that the progressive movement bequeathed to us. As Rosen puts it, “in the name of Jefferson’s commitment to equal economic opportunity, Roosevelt had buried Jefferson’s commitment to limited government” (though Rosen surely errs in calling his program “Hamiltonian”). Rosen does cite Ronald Reagan’s “Jeffersonian criticisms” of the Great Society “antipoverty” program of FDR’s successor Lyndon Johnson for undermining welfare recipients’ incentive to work, while also noting how the articles of impeachment that Congress drew against Richard Nixon, drawing on Federalist no. 69, finally “refuted” Jefferson’s charge that Hamilton had been a monarchist

Finally, in the area of constitutional interpretation, Rosen quotes Justice Antonin Scalia’s embrace of “the interpretative approach of the Hamiltonian justice Joseph Story” according to which the Constitution’s words should be construed neither broadly nor strictly, but rather taking them “in their natural and obvious sense” (though that phrase obviously leaves considerable room for dispute in particular cases). But Rosen departs from Scalia by insisting that “the central dispute on the Supreme Court” since the Founding “has not been between originalism and non-originalism, but between liberal and strict construction of federal power”: how would that distinction apply to decisions applauded by “living constitutionalists” like Roe v. Wade, which have no grounding in the Constitution’s text at all?  

Whatever one’s judgment of these controversies, it is impossible to differ with Rosen’s concluding judgment that “the greatest threat to the American Idea” throughout our history has come not from those who inconsistently apply Hamilton’s or Jefferson’s principles, but “from those who have rejected the principles entirely,” from Calhoun and others who renounced the claim of natural human equality as “a self-evident lie” to “progressive and conservative ideologues today” who would replace the Constitution entirely with a “resort to violence.” Taken as a whole, Rosen’s book offers a learned and sober account of the relevance of Hamilton’s and Jefferson’s principles to America’s past, present, and possible future. 

Read it all.

National Constitution Center President & CEO Jeffrey Rosen discusses his book, "The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America."

Watch here: https://t.co/pYS9vkWqTb pic.twitter.com/jj7ARdujMR

— Washington Journal (@cspanwj) December 25, 2025

In Vanishing Church, Burge contends that religion’s role in American public life was “recast” in the 1990s, when the religious right was at the height of its cultural prominence. Drawing on survey data such as the Cooperative Election Study and General Social Survey, he makes a case that until roughly the latter 20th century, religion was an incubator of social capital because it involved people from a broad cross-section of society working together to improve it. When the culture wars co-opted Christianity, it was to the detriment of not only Christianity but also American civil society, as young people began disaffiliating from Christianity (and religion as a whole).

“An increasing number of Americans began to see religion as primarily political,” Burge writes, instead of considering it as a body of theological beliefs, a means to approach existential questions, or a personal moral foundation. Opposing abortion, for example, became “a political stance with a religious justification, not a theological posture that expresses itself in how one votes on election day,” he writes.

One could argue that today’s online “trad” Catholicism is the current form of this recasting. This specific trend is mostly absent in Vanishing Church, but Burge has been vocal about it in interviews. As he recently framed it, this iteration has become “very desirable among highly intellectualized Republicans” as an entry point to “move up the ranks.” It is, in Burge’s words, “instrumental”—that is to say, another form of political sectarian identity. Burge also pours cold water on the notion that we’re living in the moment of a Catholic revival or ascendancy: It may appear so from “a vibes perspective,” but “not from a numbers perspective.” As college campuses and Manhattan parishes boast standing-room-only crowds and record numbers of converts, Burge observes that this is primarily an elite phenomenon that working-class parishes have not replicated. “It’s a bougie revival,” he recently told the National Catholic Register. “It’s very much an elite discourse revival.”

Read it all.

“There seems to be a rapidly spreading phenomenon of people who say they are religious … while they have essentially no connection to a local church.”

Is America’s “religious revival” more aesthetic than communal?@maggiemphillips's latest:https://t.co/adzIauhgsz

— Tablet Magazine (@tabletmag) May 27, 2026

The survey consisted of 2,365 Gen Z respondents and was conducted through AmeriSpeak and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago between August 9 and September 26, 2024, with Rick Richardson as lead investigator. With weighting applied, the sample is representative of Gen Z as a whole. One of the first questions asked respondents to indicate their current religious affiliation, if any.

The results are striking. The generic “Christian” label was easily the most popular choice, selected by 27% of Gen Z respondents—about 10 points higher than those who identified as Catholic and 17 points higher than those who chose Protestant. This largely confirms what earlier data suggested: Young people are roughly three times more likely to call themselves generic Christians than Protestants.

Perhaps equally striking is what happens when we look at born-again or evangelical Gen Z respondents—a group that makes up about 24% of the total sample. Even among this theologically engaged cohort, a majority (54%) identify as generic Christians rather than Protestant. Only 22% chose Protestant, with Catholics at 12% and the remainder scattered across other categories.

Read it all.

Most of non Catholic USA Christianity is Protestant & Baptist but doesn’t know it or rejects the labels. https://t.co/S4AI8FdX1d

— @markdtooley (@markdtooley) June 11, 2026

The leaders of Israel, Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas and the United States have one thing in common: None of them want a commission of inquiry looking into their performance in the latest Middle East conflict. So I have decided to do it for them, and I can summarize my conclusions in two words that apply to them all: “You lost.” There — I’ve saved you all the time and money of an internal investigation. You’re welcome.

This truly is the Middle East war that everybody lost. Even though it’s not over, I can see that. In fact, one reason this war may linger is because most of the leaders of these countries and militias know that history has its eyes on them and the minute the guns fall silent there will be a moral, political and economic accounting that will be devastating for each one of these fools.

Let’s go around the table. Hamas started this latest Middle East conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, with an invasion of Israel from Gaza in which in one day it murdered more than 1,200 people — men, women and children — and abducted more than 250. What was Hamas’s war aim? As far as we can tell, its fantasy was that by invading Israel it would spark a regional uprising in which “resistance” forces — including Hezbollah, Iran and even some Arab nations — would help it to annihilate the Jewish state.

Hamas did not launch this war with any peaceful intent — that is, with a gun in one hand and a peace map in the other showing how two indigenous people, Jews and Palestinians, might coexist between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. No, the only maps Hamas fighters carried showed them where to find the most Jews to kill in the border communities they invaded, including at elementary schools and a youth center.

Read it all.

Thomas L. Friedman

Everybody Is a Loser in This Middle East War
None of the participants in the recent wars of the Middle East can claim victory. All are to blame.https://t.co/jep7NyprVv

— Stuart Falk (@stufalk) June 10, 2026

Social Security is expected to deplete the fund that helps pay out retirement benefits by late 2032, the program’s trustees said Tuesday.

That is earlier than their projection last year of 2033, partly because the fund expects to collect less revenue after President Trump’s new tax law. Passed last summer, the law gave senior citizens an extra deduction that reduced taxes on benefits for many Social Security recipients. . .

Unless Congress shores up the retirement program, the depletion of reserves would trigger a 22% reduction in benefits in late 2032. Because incoming payroll tax revenue doesn’t fully cover promised benefits, the program is forced to make up the difference by pulling money from its two Social Security trust funds—one for disability benefits and the other for the larger program for retirees…

Read it all.

"Social Security Will Start Running Out Earlier Than Expected" https://t.co/c9X74I9lvM pic.twitter.com/fvWj2vcW9O

— Scott Lincicome (@scottlincicome) June 9, 2026

“My Fellow Americans:

“Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

“And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

“Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

“Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
“They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest — until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men’s souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

“For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

“Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

“And for us at home — fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them — help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

“Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

“Give us strength, too — strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

“And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

“And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment — let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

“With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace — a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

“Thy will be done, Almighty God.

“Amen.”

You can listen to the actual audio if you want here and today of all days is the day to do that. Also, there is more on background and another audio link there.–KSH.

82 years ago #OTD 6 June 1944, the D-Day Landings had just begun, and the Liberation of Europe was underway. Part of the memorial in English, French and German outside the D-Day Story, Portsmouth. When I visited I found myself unexpectedly very moved, especially by the walls of… pic.twitter.com/T9xRmE3Pqo

— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) June 6, 2026

A new style of architecture is rising in the sprawling suburbs of the Sonoran Desert: windowless data centers that hum 24 hours a day and guzzle as much electricity as a midsize city.

As Microsoft and other tech giants expand their footprints in one of the nation’s largest data-center markets, a high-stakes battle is unfolding over how to pay for the massive power-grid upgrades needed to drive the AI revolution. 

Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest utility, sits at the center of the firestorm. APS is proposing a 45% electricity-rate increase for “extra-large energy users,” primarily data centers, and a roughly 14.5% increase for residential customers.

Nearly everyone is unhappy.

Consumer advocates warn the plan would shift the financial risks of the AI build-out to households already struggling with high summer electricity bills and temperatures that often hit triple digits. If the AI boom fizzles or the energy consumption of data centers wanes, they worry residents could be left paying off the infrastructure upgrades years from now.

Read it all.

Phoenix Is a Data-Center Mecca—and Test Case for How to Pay for AI’s Power Needs
State’s largest utility is proposing a 45% electricity-rate increase for data centers and a 14.5% hike for households. No one is happy.https://t.co/m1xMQtoJsq

— Giovanni Staunovo🛢 (@staunovo) June 4, 2026

[Mr Funmi Ojetayo’s] professional experience includes senior legal positions with Florida A&M University, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Florida Department of Management Services. As Deputy General Counsel for the Department of Management Services, he led the agency’s litigation function and provided counsel on significant legal matters. He currently serves as a Partner at Allen, Norton & Blue, P.A., in Tallahassee, Florida, where his practice focuses on labor and employment litigation and appellate advocacy.

In addition to his legal training, Mr. Ojetayo holds a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He completed his pastoral residency at Incarnation Anglican Church in Tallahassee in 2022 and currently serves as Discipleship Pastor at Four Oaks Church East.

While under consideration for the appointment, Mr. Ojetayo disclosed that he has a brother who serves as a rector within Bishop Julian Dobbs’ diocese. As Mr. Ojetayo has no personal involvement in the matters under review, and his appointment is based on his professional qualifications and experience, the province deemed this not to be a conflict of interest.  

Read it all.

https://t.co/NzE22DL2Qe

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) June 3, 2026

ust 16% of U.S. adults and 12% Canadian adults are financially fulfilled, according to analysis of the inaugural Edward Jones and Gallup Money and Meaning: Understanding Financial Fulfillment study. Financial fulfillment is a state where people’s personal finances support the life they want to have.

In contrast, 32% of U.S. adults and 41% of Canadian adults experience consistent financial stress, characterized by straining to meet obligations, needing to make trade-offs between financial and life goals, and feeling they lack control over their financial situation. The largest share in each country, described as “financially conflicted,” experience some progress but still contend with ongoing financial strain.

These findings are based on web interviews conducted March 20-April 6, 2026, with 5,075 U.S. adults aged 21 and older who are members of the probability-based Gallup Panel and March 25-April 3 with 2,117 Canadian adults aged 21 and older from a nonprobability online panel. Both samples were weighted to represent the adult population in each country on key demographic characteristics.

The financial fulfillment measure is derived from a statistical analysis of 37 items that measure financial wellbeing, the emotional aspects of financial life, and how closely financial decisions align with people’s values.

Read it all.

Half of U.S. adults (51%) are financially conflicted — not in crisis, yet lacking financial security.

New research from Edward Jones and Gallup shows how finances affect people’s health, relationships and confidence in their future. Representing 133 million Americans, the… pic.twitter.com/3GEhhJK3zp

— Gallup (@Gallup) June 2, 2026

‘The Iranian regime, which ISW-CTP continues to assess is dominated by Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Ahmad Vahidi and his inner circle, suspended US-Iran negotiations on June 1. Vahidi and his inner circle likely calculate that the status quo, in which Iran has neither made concessions to the United States in a diplomatic agreement nor is engaged in a full-scale conflict with the United States, is a favorable situation that advances their objectives. IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency announced on June 1 that the regime has suspended negotiations, ostensibly in response to Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon…

The Iranian regime has likely focused on the Lebanon issue, as opposed to another key sticking point in negotiations, to try to curb Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon as part of the regime’s broader objective to preserve Hezbollah. The regime also likely seeks to drive a wedge between the United States and Israel by falsely blaming Israel and its operations in Lebanon for the collapse of the US-Iran talks. Vahidi and his inner circle also likely calculate that the status quo will help them advance several other objectives, such as solidifying Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining the Iranian nuclear program.’

Read it all.

Iran and the IRGC "likely calculate that the status quo, in which Iran has neither made concessions to the United States in a diplomatic agreement nor is engaged in a full-scale conflict with the United States, is a favorable situation that advances their objectives." https://t.co/OcS9bEjAIh

— Ashley 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@NAFOteacher) June 2, 2026

So, now we are in the earliest stages of a third phase, whose precise shape is not yet clear, but it undoubtedly marks a significant shift in political discourse, social patterns, and both private and group allegiance. I would characterise it broadly not as a surge in institutional religion, or church attendance, but a more nuanced flourishing of religious sensibility and the accelerated rolling back of what Max Weber famously called “disenchantment”.

Everywhere one looks, the sacred, the numinous, and the mystical are reasserting themselves — not always in traditional form, of course: what Tara Isabella Burton aptly calls the “Remixed religions” of the young are customised, consumerist, and made-to-measure rather than doctrinally coherent….

That said, there is indisputably a discernible Christian edge to what is happening — and not only the “cultural Christianity” that Tom Holland’s wonderful book Dominion has nurtured in so many (Features, 27 September 2019). There have been specific, high-profile conversions, of which the most striking was the public announcement of the former New Atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, in 2023, that she was now a committed Christian.

Alongside this, one cannot begin to comprehend the contemporary tech world without understanding the grip of AI millenarianism and the growing fixation with the Revelation of St John among Silicon Valley oligarchs such as Peter Thiel, who has been lecturing around the world on the advent of the Antichrist. It is remarkable — and quite normal now — to hear “tech bros” talk with enthusiasm about the Christian theorist René Girard.

Read it all (subscription or registration).

"Everywhere one looks, the sacred, the numinous, and the mystical are reasserting themselves"@MatthewdAncona detects a huge shift in politics and culture https://t.co/uOFMcoLpZp

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) May 26, 2026

Between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, South Carolina’s population grew at a rate of 1.5 percent, faster than any other state in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.[1]

South Carolina has consistently recorded rapid population growth, ranking in the top six among all states in each of the last five years for percentage change. Within the last five years, South Carolina’s population growth peaked at a rate of 1.9 percent between July 2022 and July 2023, which was also the third fastest growth rate in the country.

There are three major components to state population growth: natural change, which is calculated by subtracting the number of deaths from the number of births; international migration, which is the number of people moving from outside the country; and domestic migration, which is the number of people moving from another state within the country.  

From July 2024 through July 2025, South Carolina’s population increased by nearly 80,000 people. Births in the state exceeded deaths for the first time in the last five years, by 564 people, therefore having a small effect on the natural growth of the population. 

Read it all.

Where Americans moved to and from in 2025.

Massachusetts experienced the most loss of any state, Kansas the most of any Republican state, and South Carolina grew the fastest of any state. In contrast, Delaware grew the fastest of any Democrat state.

Republican states dominated… pic.twitter.com/XiJnads08m

— AF Post (@AFpost) May 25, 2026

Central Africa has extensive experience dealing with Ebola. Both Uganda and the DRC have faced multiple localized outbreaks in the past decade and have successfully contained and ended them. Medical professionals on the ground are familiar with these situations and have real expertise in responding.

But politics play a role in infectious disease response, as was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. The DRC is no different, and public confidence in governing authorities is particularly fragile right now, as President Félix Tshisekedi flirts with a third term in office; large swaths of eastern territory remain under the control of M23, a Rwandan-backed Congolese insurgent group; and murky security-for-minerals deals fuel uncertainty and suspicion.

On social media, conspiracy theories abound, suggesting the outbreak is a distraction, a hoax, a money-making scheme, or a pretext for some other nefarious agenda. The profound mistrust of authorities and of outsiders that permeates Congolese society after generations of exploitation creates a particularly difficult backdrop for this Ebola response.

All of this is unfolding in the context of profound insecurity. Eastern Congo has been plagued by conflict for decades, and scores of armed groups operate in the region, as do foreign military forces from Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. Nearly one million people in Ituri, where the outbreak is worst, are displaced. Transportation and communications infrastructure is poor. It is not an environment in which it is easy to quickly establish new facilities, distribute health-care supplies, or even obtain accurate, timely information about what is happening in different communities.

Read it all.

Until last year, the USAID was part of a time-tested system for dealing with Ebola.

In its absence, a dozen former federal employees tell NBC News that the U.S. response to the growing outbreak has been slow and disjointed. https://t.co/IYVqQSknjE

— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 20, 2026

The three American Muslims killed during a shooting Monday (May 18) at a San Diego mosque are being remembered by their imam and faith community as “men of courage, sacrifice and faith” who put themselves on the line to protect others. 

The Islamic Center of San Diego identified the victims as Amin Abdullah, a gentle security guard; Nadir Awad, a dedicated neighbor; and Mansour Kaziha, a longtime shopkeeper and caretaker of the mosque.

Abdullah died protecting more than 200 children and community members, the mosque’s Imam Taha Hassane said in an interview with RNS. The “beloved” security guard was killed first, Hassane said, but before he died, he used his radio to warn teachers in the center’s school to lock their classroom doors. He “undoubtedly he saved lives today” by delaying the shooters in a gunbattle in front of the mosque, said San Diego Police Department Chief Scott Wahl during a press conference Monday. 

Read it all.

Victims of the deadly Islamic Center of San Diego shooting have been identified. https://t.co/PTM3tr430T

— WACH FOX (@wachfox) May 19, 2026

Ahead of what the White House is calling a “large-scale revival” meeting on the National Mall devoted to “rededicating our country as One Nation under God,” a new Pew Research Center survey shows that a growing minority of U.S. adults say religion is gaining influence in American life. And more than half say religion plays a positive role in society.

At the same time, most people want churches and other houses of worship to stay out of day-to-day politics and not endorse candidates.

The new survey also finds growing familiarity with the term “Christian nationalism.” Most Americans surveyed now say they have heard at least a little about it.

Support for ideas that are sometimes associated with Christian nationalism is mostly unchanged in recent years. For example, there has been no growth in the shares of Americans who want the government to stop enforcing separation of church and state or who believe that God favors the United States over all countries.

There has, however, been a small uptick in the share of U.S. adults who say the federal government should declare Christianity the nation’s official religion: 17% now say this, up from 13% in 2024.

Read it all.

Find more of Americans views on Religion’s influence in government and public life: https://t.co/I6PWa7ge6b

— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) May 15, 2026

Is the American Revolution over? As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States this year, public commentators will answer this question differently. For some, the Revolution was an event that happened in the distant past. They will celebrate the 250th with three-cornered hats, battle reenactments, and visits to historic sites. Others may try to “reclaim” the Revolution, as if the beliefs of the founding fathers froze in the 18th century and just need thawing and application in the 21st, as if little has changed since 1776.

Still others see the Revolution as ongoing. This latter view, Nathan Perl-Rosenthal argues in The Long Revolution, is the way most Americans living before the Civil War understood the Revolution.

Read it all.

Historian @JohnFea1 reviews three history books that explore the stories we tell about America and the immigrants who call it home.https://t.co/63SOf6JWZG

— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) May 18, 2026

Loving God, we bless thy Name for Frances Perkins, who in faithfulness to her baptism envisioned a society in which all may live in health and decency: Help us, following her example and in union with her prayers, to contend tirelessly for justice and for the protection of all, that we may be faithful followers of Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

10 April 1880: Labor Secretary Frances #Perkins is born in #Boston, Massachusetts. She was the first #female cabinet member and is the longest service #Labor Secretary, having served from March 4, 1933 until June 30, 1945. #history #OTD #HappyBirthday #ad https://t.co/ShRi75iIoJ pic.twitter.com/jyzWRhB7Tv

— Today In History (@URDailyHistory) April 10, 2022

There ain’t no grave can hold my body down There ain’t no grave can hold my body down When I hear that trumpet sound I’m gonna rise right out of the ground Ain’t no grave can hold my body down Well, look way down the river What do you think I see? I see a band of angels, and they’re coming after me Ain’t no grave can hold my body down There ain’t no grave can hold my body down Well, look down yonder, Gabriel Put your feet on the land and sea But Gabriel, don’t you blow your trumpet ’til you hear it from me There ain’t no grave can hold my body down Ain’t no grave can hold my body down Well, meet me, Jesus, meet me Meet me in the middle of the air And if these wings don’t fail me I will meet you anywhere Ain’t no grave can hold my body down There ain’t no grave can hold my body down Well, meet me, mother and father Meet me down the river road And momma you know that I’ll be there When I check in my load Ain’t no grave can hold my body down There aint no grave can hold my body down There ain’t no grave can hold my body down

‘Tom Llamas sits down with Savannah Bananas founder Jesse Cole, who is changing the face of America’s favorite pastime. From players pitching on stilts, to backflip catches, even breaking out into song and dance right in the batter’s box. It’s all part of his mission to make baseball more fun, family-friendly and affordable – and its popularity spans generations.’

The U.S. remains the most desired destination for people who would like to leave their own countries permanently, but Gallup’s latest data show it is less attractive than it once was.

In 2025, 15% of adults worldwide who say they would like to move permanently to another country name the U.S. as their preferred destination, the lowest level recorded in nearly two decades of Gallup research. From 2007 to 2009, 24% of would-be migrants named the U.S. as their top choice, and that figure remained near 20% through 2016. Since 2017, it has been at or below 18%.

The rank order of the countries attracting the most interest from potential migrants has seen little change since Gallup’s first measure. Canada ranks second, as it has for several years, with 9% of potential migrants mentioning the U.S. neighbor. The appeal of these desired destinations did not change in 2025, even as the U.S. became less desirable.

Read it all.

In 2025, 15% of adults worldwide who say they would like to move permanently to another country name the U.S. as their preferred destination, the lowest level recorded in nearly two decades of Gallup research. 

The U.S. became less attractive to adults in several regions in… pic.twitter.com/6oLEshPQYE

— Gallup (@Gallup) April 23, 2026

Driven by a recent increase, young men in the U.S. have now surpassed young women in saying religion is “very important” in their lives. Gallup’s latest data, from 2024-2025, show 42% of young men saying religion is very important to them, up sharply from 28% in 2022-2023. By contrast, during this period, young women’s attachment to religion has held steady at about 30%.

Although young men had previously tied young women on this key marker of religiosity, young men now lead by a statistically significant margin. The recent increase among young men also contrasts with minimal changes since 2022-2023 among older men and women.

With the recent surge in their attachment to religion, young men have returned to the high point of their expressed religiosity of the past 25 years, roughly tying the 43% found in 2000-2001. By contrast, women of all age groups and older men are at or near their historical lows.

These findings are based on biennial aggregates of Gallup’s religion data from 2000-2001 through 2024-2025, allowing for stable estimates across age and gender groups.

Read it all.

Skeptics claimed that the supposed religious revival among young men wasn’t showing up in the polling. Gallup says otherwise. A shift is here, and it’s massive. https://t.co/ItPM1mWc7h

— Walter Russell Mead (@wrmead) April 16, 2026

President Trump sought to reassure skeptical Americans that the war in Iran is in the national interest, arguing that the operation was necessary to decimate a regime threatening the U.S. and insisting that economic pain would be short-lived.

In a 20-minute address from the White House, his most direct sales pitch to the nation since the war began a month ago, Trump said the U.S. had succeeded on the battlefield and declared that U.S. military objectives would be completed “very shortly.”

Trump said he still aims for a diplomatic agreement to end the war. But in the meantime, he vowed to hit Iran “extremely hard” in the coming weeks and pummel the country “back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.”

Read it all.

President Trump sought to reassure skeptical Americans that the war in Iran is in the national interest, arguing that the operation was necessary to decimate a regime threatening the U.S. https://t.co/k1db0hosas

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) April 2, 2026