Pope Leo XIV has taken as his motto “In Illo uno unum”: In the one Christ we are one. Last November he joined Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and other Orthodox representatives to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. The pope and the ecumenical patriarch affirmed in a joint declaration their churches’ orientation toward “the hoped-for restoration of full communion.” Even Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, who leads one of the Orthodox churches most skeptical about Rome, has expressed hope that relations “will progressively develop for a joint witness to Christ.”

These symbolic gestures don’t directly address the longstanding theological barriers, but there has been some progress over the past several years. The 2023 Alexandria Document was an important step toward a joint understanding of papal authority, though not all Orthodox churches ratified the statement.

Patriarch Bartholomew, for his part, has prayed that the obstacles of the filioque—Rome’s teaching that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, rather than from the Father alone—and papal infallibility be resolved so that they “no longer serve as stumbling blocks to the communion of our churches.” The patriarch mentioned these two obstacles intentionally, and a joint international commission plans to examine them head-on over the next several years.

But reunion is the work of all believers, not just hierarchs and theologians.

Read it all.

The robot takeover looks a lot different from what we see in Hollywood thrillers.

Even as artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robots dance, box and beat human running-speed records, the physical bots showing up in our daily lives in Los Angeles are less Terminator and more R2-D2.

On a Wednesday afternoon at Ralphs on Pico Boulevard, a skinny, six-foot-tall tower of sensors rolled through the aisles. It made low beeping noises, its lights flickering purple and green. A small screen on the top of the tower had two blinking eyes and a small line of text. “Hi, I’m Tally!”

“Robot! Robot!” a young boy yelled. Some adults looked confused; others laughed.

Ricardo Valadez, a 62-year-old real estate agent from Mid-City and Ralphs regular, said he felt like the robot was stalking him around the store but was reassured by an employee that it just checks the shelves to see what is missing or out of place.

“I was kind of like, ‘What the hell is that?'” Valadez said. “I don’t know why; I felt that it was following me.”

Read it all.

Page One, @latimesThe “AI Employee of the Month” 🤖 https://t.co/mSrxwtqQFz

— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) October 16, 2026

Keep us, O Lord, constant in faith and zealous in witness, after the examples of thy servants Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer; that we may live in thy fear, die in thy favor, and rest in thy peace; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

16 Oct 1555: Bishops Hugh Latimer & Nicholas Ridley burnt at the stake in #Oxford #otd https://t.co/oEhw5eIe9k

— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) October 16, 2026

Almighty God, renew us day by day by thy Holy Spirit, in whom thou hast sealed us for thine own: Let all bitterness be put away from us, all anger and evil-speaking and malice; may we be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as thou, O Father, hast forgiven us for the sake of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Wow 😍 Northern lights over Sundstraumen in Flakstad, Lofoten 💚 Photo Knut Dreiås #Norway #aurora https://t.co/0T7FSXEBii

— Elusive Moose (@elusive_moose) October 16, 2026

Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. And from there we made a circuit and arrived at Rhe’gium; and after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Pute’oli. There we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. And the brethren there, when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum of Ap’pius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them Paul thanked God and took courage.

–Acts 28: 12-15

Morning everyone I hope you are well. Early morning autumnal mist clearing across Little Langdale Tarn. Have a great day.#LakeDistrict https://t.co/UvRWNh2KRe

— Rod Hutchinson (@lakesrhino) October 16, 2026

The cost of long vacancies in sees was among the issues discussed by the House of Bishops at its meeting this week.

The meeting, held from Monday to Wednesday, focused on “discussion of emerging work and matters of common concern across the Church”, a summary provided by Church House, Westminster, said.

This included work being done on episcopal appointments. Bishops noted “the cost of long vacancies and shared experiences of identifying and encouraging candidates for episcopal ministry”. Nine sees are currently vacant, and, in recent years, the failure of the Crown Nominations Commission to appoint, the withdrawal of candidates, and suspension of bishops have resulted in suffragan bishops’ serving as acting bishops for longer periods of time.

In the General Synod, members have been raising concerns about the functioning of the system, and the backlog. In 2024, Archbishop Welby spoke of “unprecedented demand in the senior appointments system”.

Read it all.

The cost of long vacancies in sees was among the issues discussed by the House of Bishops at its meeting this week #ChurchTimes #ChurchNews https://t.co/WfrWu2brU0

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 15, 2026

Although we differ on the specifics, both of us believe in hell. This makes us part of a shrinking majority. Only 59 percent of Americans today believe in hell. That’s down from 71 percent in 2001. But these figures, while striking, fail to capture the remarkable shift currently underway in the United States. No one talks about hell much anymore, at least not publicly—not even religious people. We’ve both attended weekly religious services for most of our adult lives, and there’s just no other way to put it: Hell comes up less.

Hannah Arendt was one of the few modern philosophers who grasped the political consequences of losing belief in hell, writing, “The most significant consequence of the secularization of the modern age may well be the elimination from public life, along with religion, of the only political element in traditional religion, the fear of hell.” The contemporary retreat from hell has any number of causes, many of them understandable. As pastor Robert Golding notes, modern people find the concept of hell “illogical, unnecessary, and cruel.” Innovations in criminal justice now emphasize rehabilitation over mere punishment and bristle at the thought that anyone—even hardened criminals—deserves endless punishment or, worse, death.

Many readers will, no doubt, scoff at this idea. They might protest, “I could never believe in hell!” That’s okay. We’re not going to try to convince you to believe in it. One need not believe in hell to grasp its importance or its utility.

For the good of our democracy, you should want your religious neighbours to take their belief in hell more seriously—not less. And even if you don’t believe in hell, you should take some time to ponder its political utility and ask yourself how you intend to make up for its absence in your own life.

Read it all.

Hell can be good for democracy because it helps us delay judgment until some unspecified point in the future, allowing us to "chill."My essay in @commentmag with @matthewkaemingk adapted from our new book CAN RELIGION SAVE DEMOCRACY? 🧵https://t.co/6cqdSCgRvE

— Shadi Hamid (@shadihamid) October 13, 2026

Nearly five years into its fight for national survival, Ukraine has entered a moment of intense vulnerability, under growing pressure not only from Russia but also now from the United States.

A double blow came overnight on Wednesday.

Ukraine said that its military, with no warning, had lost some critical access to a military version of Starlink, a pillar of its battlefield communications. Kyiv relies on the satellite internet network, known as Starshield, which is paid for by the Pentagon. That led Ukrainian officials and analysts to surmise that the restrictions had come from Washington, as President Trump is locked in his latest feud with Ukraine’s leadership.

At the same time, Russia unleashed dozens of ballistic missiles in a broad attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure early Wednesday, cutting power to 600,000 people in the capital, Kyiv. It was a dark omen for a rapidly approaching winter in which Russia is gearing up to try to push Ukraine to the breaking point as Kyiv runs low on lifesaving air defenses.

It was unclear how long the Starshield restrictions would remain in place. Still, the Trump administration’s treatment of Ukraine has caused outrage in a country already reeling from a string of challenges.

Read it all.

Ukraine’s Vulnerability Grows as Starlink is Restricted and Russia EscalatesKyiv has found itself increasingly vulnerable. A huge attack cut power to 600,000 people there, and a Pentagon-funded satellite program appeared to be curbed without warning. https://t.co/igpM7s86S9

— Sjoerd Nolf (@SjoerdNolf) October 14, 2026

The presence of evangelical Christianity in Chile continues, new official records are showing.

An example is a review of Chile’s Official Gazette carried out by the Chilean news outlet Ex-Ante. It shows 82 religious organisations registered officially with the state in just three months: 36 in June 2026, 28 in July, and 18 in August.

These data amount to an average of nearly one new Protestant church per day, in addition to a further 16 that amended their statutes during the same period. They are spread across 13 regions, although they are concentrated in the centre and south of the country.

Read it all.

One in six people (16.3 per cent) in the country identify as “evangelical” or “Protestant”. A government plan to promote Christian centres with a social impact in neighbourhoods shows the growing public presence. https://t.co/LAmeN20a6B

— Evangelical Focus (@Evan_Focus) October 14, 2026

O God, who by thy Holy Spirit didst move Teresa of Avila to manifest to thy Church the way of perfection: Grant us, we beseech thee, to be nourished by her excellent teaching, and enkindle within us a lively and unquenchable longing for true holiness; through Jesus Christ, the joy of loving hearts, who with thee and the same Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever.

Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.St. Teresa of Avila https://t.co/ZEqOu8tqrc

— Memento Mori (@TempusFugit4016) October 15, 2026

O Lord, because we often sin and have to ask for pardon, help us to forgive as we would be forgiven; neither mentioning old offences committed against us, nor dwelling upon them in thought; but loving our brother freely as thou freely lovest us; for thy name’s sake.

Built in 1902 from massive stones, Boulder Bridge was designed to blend into the surrounding landscape.More than 120 years later, framed by fall leaves, it remains one of @RockCreekNPS’s most recognizable landmarks. https://t.co/5QIo8QoApN

— U.S. Department of the Interior (@Interior) October 14, 2026

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not do it.

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, “I pray thee, Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repentest of evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take my life from me, I beseech thee, for it is better for me to die than to live.” And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?” Then Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.

And the Lord God appointed a plant, and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm which attacked the plant, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a sultry east wind, and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah so that he was faint; and he asked that he might die, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night, and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nin′eveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

–Jonah 3:10-4:11

Beverley Minster, Yorkshire 🍂The church sits on the ancient site of Beverley Monastery, which was founded by John of Beverley in the 8th Century.After his death in 721, John was interred within the monastery.King Æthelstan stopped to pray at the founder’s tomb on his way to the Battle of Brunanburh.And after his famous victory, Æthelstan granted great lands and privileges to the monastery and the site became a place of pilgrimage.John was later canonised in 1037, but his tomb was sadly destroyed during the Reformation.

— Historical Chronicles (@HistoriaJack) October 15, 2026

The dangers of conflating God’s voice with a human one and letting prayer ministry turn into a form of control, even unintentionally, are among the issues explored in a new guide to prayer from Church House.

The guide, Lord, Teach Us to Pray: Prayer in pastoral settings and guidelines for good practice (Church House Publishing), was developed in partnership with specialists from the Faith and Public Life team, with advice and input from others, including victims and survivors of abuse.

The background to its production is “the realisation that churches have not always got it right when it comes to prayer and pastoral care”, the introduction says. “At the extreme end, practices like conversion therapy have deeply damaged and wounded people struggling to understand themselves and their identity before God.

“But there have been other questions asked, about safeguarding and how victims of abuse might be treated, and more generally about the ways in which prayer may be used to push certain agendas and beliefs, in ways that can be experienced as harmful and distressing.”

Read it all.

The dangers of conflating God’s voice 💬 with a human one and letting prayer ministry 🙏 turn into a form of control, even unintentionally, are among the issues explored in a new guide to prayer from the C of E’s Faith and Order Commission. #ChurchTimes https://t.co/W4RiuHaRlo

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 14, 2026

ESPN wanted nothing to do with sports gambling. That stance had softened a bit as of 2018, when the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on bookmaking, but the following year, Bob Iger, who was then the CEO of ESPN’s parent, Disney, told investors: “I don’t see the Walt Disney Company, certainly in the near term, getting involved in the business of gambling, in effect, by facilitating gambling in any way.”

So it came as a shock to many people, including Nicole Noren, a longtime ESPN producer, when ESPN licensed its name to a gambling app in 2023. By then, ESPN, like so many sports outlets, was promoting betting at virtually every opportunity; now it would encourage fans to use ESPN Bet. The app, which stood to generate a billion and a half dollars for the network over ten years, proved to be an embarrassing flop. But it was promptly replaced by a partnership with DraftKings, the sports gambling giant. These days, DraftKings ads blanket ESPN coverage, and this past March the companies enabled customers to link their ESPN and DraftKings accounts. It’s a partnership, a press release explained, “that goes beyond a traditional marketing arrangement, redefining how fans engage with sports.”

For Noren, ESPN Bet was the last straw. “I was out,” she told me. “I’m not going to work for a gambling company and have blood on my hands.” ESPN wasn’t an easy place to leave. Noren had worked there for twenty-four years, winning Emmy, Murrow, and Peabody awards, mainly for her work on Outside the Lines, the investigative newsmagazine. She was entrusted with some of the network’s most serious and sensitive reporting, involving topics such as gender-based violence, the mental health of college students, and concussions. With the NFL back in full swing—and ESPN preparing to carry its first-ever Super Bowl, in February—Noren spoke publicly for the first time about her own family’s experience with compulsive gambling. “Addiction dictated every part of our life,” she said. “It’s very, very personal to me.” Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Read it all.

An award-winning ESPN producer resigned after 24 years over the network’s embrace of sports betting: “I’m not going to work for a gambling company and have blood on my hands.” https://t.co/LWbFKC6Vp6

— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) October 14, 2026

Top executives at Anthropic, OpenAI and other AI companies are privately gaming out scenarios for a public and political revolt after a catastrophic AI event. These officials anticipate a large-scale event, most likely a cyberattack, that shuts down access to financial services, internet connectivity, or even power and water.

The first example of significant real-world harm caused by unsafe AI would turn an already wary public further against the technology and its leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, as well as President Trump for his reluctance to regulate it.

While scenario planning is common within many companies and national security settings — the Pentagon has been running war games for decades — the difference is that many top AI researchers and executives believe a major incident is inevitable.

Read it all.

⚠️ 🤖AI companies plot "the day after"Top executives at Anthropic, OpenAI and other AI companies are privately gaming out scenarios for a public and political revolt after a catastrophic AI event. Why it matters: These officials anticipate a large-scale event, most likely a cyberattack, that shuts down access to financial services, internet connectivity, or even power and water. The first example of significant real-world harm caused by unsafe AI would turn an already wary public further against the technology and its leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, as well as President Trump for his reluctance to regulate it. Threat level: While scenario planning is common within many companies and national security settings — the Pentagon has been running war games for decades — the difference is that many top AI researchers and executives believe a major incident is inevitable. "OpenAI conducts preparedness exercises where teams discuss and work through a range of potential scenarios," a company spokesperson said. "These scenarios are not treated as inevitable, but are meant to help us prepare for a variety of circumstances." Anthropic declined to comment. Zoom in: The blame game will start whether a rogue-agent swarm breaks containment from an internal testing environment or a bad actor finds unexpected ways to use available models. A recent campaign targeting South Korean financial organizations — including reported breaches at two banks — shows the damage one person can do. A hacker from China allegedly used AI tools from China-developed models, including DeepSeek, to steal data from tens of thousands of bank customers. The attacker used Claude Code to ask for help finding places to sell the stolen data, according to cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. Top AI planners assume Democrats, ascendant after the midterms, will move fast to shut down AI but will face significant challenges. An aging Congress, out of touch with the AI revolution, could find itself out of its depth. The global economy is now heavily intertwined with an AI infrastructure buildout. Slowing it down could hit an already fragile economy hard. Too many open-weight models can already be freely downloaded and used to cause harm, a problem most cybersecurity pros see as solvable only by using AI to fight rogue AI. Between the lines: The planning involves red-teaming for worst-case scenarios. It focuses mainly on racing to educate members of Congress. Company executives know regulation has no chance of passing right now, but still want to shape the legislation and policies U.S. leaders will turn to after a first catastrophic event. What we’re watching: Many AI industry insiders told Axios they believe a major event will occur in the next six to 12 months. Even with Democrats in control of the House and Senate, the companies see fractured politics as the norm, including within the Democratic Party. Some of the most heavy-handed Democratic proposals include banning superintelligence or pausing advanced AI development. Others have bipartisan support and even some industry buy-in, including a required kill switch on advanced AI. But experts have questioned the viability of trying to turn off all AI systems. The bottom line: In a real crisis, Washington can set partisan differences aside. One Democratic aide pointed to cooperation during COVID and the 2008 financial crisis. AXIOS

— Ares, Information Service (@Aresinfoservice) October 10, 2026

Stephen Huff was about to get married when he had a scan to investigate why he had been feeling short of breath. He was a fit 29-year-old who had played professional baseball and never smoked, so he wasn’t expecting the diagnosis: stage 4 lung cancer. “I had multiple spots all in my lungs, my neck, my spine, my liver, my brain – just everywhere,” he says. “I put on a brave front, but deep down I was terrified. I didn’t know if I’d be here in six months.”

Luckily for Huff, his mother, a cancer researcher, encouraged him to get a new kind of test that is quietly revolutionizing treatment. Rather than focusing on the place in the body where the cancer originated – for example, the lungs, bowel or skin – the new approach focuses on genes. The aim is to pinpoint the exact mutation driving the tumor, so it can be switched off with targeted drugs that act like guided missiles.

Through this fresh approach, Huff “hit the lottery” – as his oncologist told him – because it meant he could be treated with a recently approved drug that specifically targeted the genetic alteration driving his cancer. Within weeks, Huff began to feel better. “My first scan showed that basically every tumour site had either shrunk or gone away completely,” he says.

Now, thanks to this precision oncology method, more and more people like Huff are surviving cancers that were once considered a death sentence, like lung, pancreatic and brain cancer. “Being able to identify exactly what makes a cancer tick is having an incredible impact,” says David Thomas, a pioneer of precision oncology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. But surprisingly, it has received little fanfare outside of the medical community so far.

Read it all.

A revolutionary way of targeting tumors could beat even the worst cancersWe have long treated cancer based on its location in the body. But a whole new approach that analyses tumors differently is now helping people survive forms of cancer that were once considered a death sentencehttps://t.co/eLjdh5vd1zhttps://t.co/GekaZnFhSP

— David Ullrich (@DavidUllrich202) October 13, 2026

O God, who in thy providence didst call Joseph Schereschewsky from his home in Eastern Europe to the ministry of this Church, and didst send him as a missionary to China, upholding him in his infirmity, that he might translate the holy Scriptures into languages of that land: Lead us, we pray thee, to commit our lives and talents to thee, in the confidence that when thou givest thy servants any work to do, thou dost also supply the strength to do it; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky, Bishop and Missionary, 1906 https://t.co/F0xkkbLRRH

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) October 14, 2023

Hear us, O Lord, as we come to thee burdened with our guilt, and bow in faith at thy feet.  Speak to us thy word of absolution; say to our souls, Thy sins be forgiven thee; that with good courage we may rise up and go forth to serve thee, now and all our days, to the glory of thy holy name.

Good Wednesday morning from Malmö #malmö #dahlia #photofrommyheart https://t.co/nmXK96ak6w

— Lisa von Steijern🇸🇪 (@LisavonSteijern) October 14, 2026

As much time had been lost, and the voyage was already dangerous because the fast had already gone by, Paul advised them, saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” But the centurion paid more attention to the captain and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to put to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, looking northeast and southeast, and winter there.

And when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close inshore. But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land; and when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven. And running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the boat; after hoisting it up, they took measures to undergird the ship; then, fearing that they should run on the Syr′tis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven. As we were violently storm-tossed, they began next day to throw the cargo overboard; and the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackle of the ship. And when neither sun nor stars appeared for many a day, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

As they had been long without food, Paul then came forward among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and should not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. I now bid you take heart; for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and lo, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we shall have to run on some island.”

–Acts 27:9-26 

For Waterfall Wednesday we’re at Hardraw Force. Tucked away behind the historic Green Dragon Inn and standing at around 100ft, it’s widely described as England’s highest unbroken above-ground waterfall 🌊📸 Mark Sadler | #YorkshireDales #WaterfallWednesday https://t.co/lRqCKL2xLy

— Yorkshire Dales National Park (@yorkshire_dales) October 14, 2026

For years, AI scientists have been warning that the technologies they are developing are technologies they don’t know how to control. Those concerns were largely ignored in America’s Congress. In 2024 members of California’s delegation in Congress took the extraordinary step of asking Governor Gavin Newsom to veto a then-pending state AI safety bill. The risks, they said, were “hypothetical”. The Terminator, they reminded the governor, was science fiction.

But the invasion of Hugging Face, an AI-development platform, by an OpenAI model earlier this summer has begun to change Washington—and terrify the public. “The truth is,” Representative Ro Khanna tweeted, “for too long, too many of us did not give enough weight to the warnings of AI safety activists…I was one of those many, and I was wrong.” Mr Khanna has now joined an array of members from both parties to propose the FRONTIER Act, an ambitious regulation of the most powerful models, tied to pre-empting state regulation. Senator Bernie Sanders has proposed even more aggressive limits on AI development.

These proposals are good starts. But they are both too much and too little. It is too early to silence state regulators, and not enough to focus on the risks caused by the most powerful models alone. Instead, we need an approach that advances AI safety generally while avoiding the developments AI scientists are most fearful of.

Four changes by Congress would do that and provide time to work through the immensely complicated questions that will follow.

First, it should expressly allow competitors to agree to slow development while safety technology is improved. 

Read it all.

Lawrence Lessig and Yoshua Bengio suggest how to reduce serious risks without abandoning American technological leadership https://t.co/ZA1TP9vVT7

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) October 13, 2026

For 150 years the story of Western Christianity has been one of decline and withdrawal. Even as Christians we have come to inhabit that narrative ourselves. We have leadenly accepted those who have told us that the only way is down and have mocked those who speak the language of renewal and growth. But every two hundred years, the French crop up and remind us that the fire of the Gospel is inextinguishable. Joan of Arc led the way in the fifteenth century, Vincent de Paul in the seventeenth, John Vianney and Teresa of Lisieux in the nineteenth, and now in the twenty first, it is a generation of teenagers and young adults who are heralding a time of change. They are seeking a deeper and more authentic truth than the consumer agenda can offer. And they are finding it in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is moving. Pope Leo on the way home from France described it as a Rebirth.

There is plenty of evidence that the wind is changing here also. Many of you are telling me about new families and especially young adults simply turning up in your churches, often starting with online exploration of the Gospel. A few Sundays ago I went to two churches where every year they have presented ten to fifteen Year 6 children for Confirmation. This time they were joined by ten adults in each church, passionate in their newfound Gospel faith. And that story is an increasingly common one across the county. There is a rebirth.

Which poses a challenge for an institutional church. Do we believe it? And are we ready for it? In northern Europe we have become so inured to the language and methodologies of decline that our imaginations have become dulled. Many congregations simply cannot picture their churches being thriving and full of people. A mindset of scarcity and anxiety has gripped them. That’s why we waste so much of our time arguing over money rather than storing up treasure in heaven. If in the Church of England we cannot believe in a rebirth, then the Spirit will simply find other vehicles for renewal.

But I think that in the Diocese of Blackburn, we do believe and are increasingly ready for what the Spirit is doing in our nation. Just four weeks ago we had the most mind-blowingly fabulous weekend of mission. Almost every parish and benefice across the Diocese planned a weekend of events with the unashamed intention of inviting people in to hear the Gospel. Our Centenary events, from a crazy Big Day Out in Blackpool, to the wonderful Diocesan Conference, to our plans for the Centenary Eucharist on November 12^th, have had levels of engagement that reveal profound faithfulness and purpose amongst clergy and lay leaders.

And that has zeal has been demonstrated over the past two years as we have discerned God’s will for our new Diocesan vision, Joyful Followers of Jesus….

Read it all.

Philip North Announced as Next Bishop of Sheffield https://t.co/gl3oXFdubQ @c_of_e #AnglicanNews #religion #uk #episcopate https://t.co/KPVLKKfngg

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) January 31, 2017

For months, Ma Yongjian didn’t tell his parents where he was.

Halfway through a master’s degree in computer science, the 27-year-old stopped going to class last year. Software engineering used to be a safe career choice, but the rise of artificial intelligence and a wave of layoffs at Chinese tech companies left Ma convinced he wouldn’t be able to land a good job. He no longer saw the point of studying. 

When his roommates left their dorm each morning, Ma would wander Beijing, sitting in parks and looking at stray cats. Earlier this year, he escaped to Dali, a magnet for drifters in China’s Yunnan province known for its scenic mountains and slow pace of life.

His parents thought he was still in grad school. He didn’t want to worry them.

“Before, everyone expected life would keep getting better, your income would keep growing. Now, it’s different,” said Ma. “When you look at the future, there isn’t much hope.”

A generation born during China’s boom years is now entering adulthood with dwindling opportunities, fiercer competition and a growing sense of despondency that years of hard work have left them no better off than their parents—and, for some, back living with them. Steady jobs are hard to get, pushing millions into the precarious gig economy, while others buckle under a cutthroat work culture.

A weakened economy has shrunk the job market, just as record numbers of college graduates are looking to start their careers. 

Read it all.

China’s Weakening Economy Is Creating a Lost Generation—Young people were taught hard work guaranteed a bright future. They feel burned out and betrayed as good jobs become harder to get. @hannahmiao_ @GillSabrie https://t.co/Jdyyo9hqou https://t.co/Jdyyo9hqou

— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) October 13, 2026

It’s no secret that online sports gambling is a serious problem, draining the coffers and harming the prospects of young men. It’s also no secret that politicians are disinclined to crack down on it. No one wants to be a Puritan killjoy, and politicians are wary of antagonizing the millions of voters who engage in sports gambling. The result is a paralyzing stasis: the industry gets bigger and more harmful while our elected leaders seem helpless to do anything about it. 

But what if there was a popular, populist, light-touch solution to this problem—a solution that reined in sports gambling while also striking a note of freedom and non-discrimination? As it turns out, there is. The solution is this: Congress should mandate that sportsbooks not discriminate and treat all customers on equal terms. The dirty little secret of sportsbooks is that they radically limit bets from those whom they know to be savvy gamblers, because savvy gamblers can spot inefficient betting lines and take the sportsbooks for big money over time.  

The statistician Nate Silver, for example, has written about how he can’t place anywhere near as large a bet as the average Joe because the sportsbooks know that they could easily lose money to someone of his caliber. If Congress required sportsbooks to treat all customers equally, the sportsbooks would probably scale back or close shop entirely because they couldn’t afford a world where they suffer heavy losses from savvy gamblers like Silver. This could be an effective and politically feasible way to rein in sports gambling, because it would not rely on perceived nanny-state regulation, but rather, on a more crowd-pleasing view that customers should be treated equally.    

The rise of online sports gambling is a familiar story. In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down a 1992 federal law that banned sports gambling in most states. In a world of ubiquitous smartphones, the Supreme Court’s decision set off a gold rush of online sports gambling. Online platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel became household names, offering a bewildering array of sports bets to consumers nationwide.  

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Gambling disorder cases have started skyrocketing in states where sports betting is legal (this started ~May, 2018) following the end of COVID.They’ve remained flat from COVID to today in states where it has remained illegal. https://t.co/bA9TAIFO5p

— Crémieux (@cremieuxrecueil) June 26, 2026

O God, our heavenly Father, who didst raise up thy faithful servant Edwin to be King of Northumbria and to to bring the Christian faith to that fair land, and later gave his life for that same faith, grant us grace to be inspired by his faithful example of being your witness to the end; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Oct 12: Feast of Edwin (584-633), first Christian king of the Northumbrians. He came to power with the aid of Rædwald, king of the East Angles. He died at the Battle of Hæthfelth against Penda, pagan king of the Mercians, and British king Catguollaun. 📸DaveWebster14 https://t.co/TQCabhAgVt

— North Ages (@NorthAges) October 12, 2026

Write deeply upon our minds, O Lord our God, the lessons of thy holy Word, that only the pure in heart can see thee.  Leave us not in the bondage of any sinful inclination.  May we neither deceive ourselves with the thought that we have no sin, nor idly acquiesce in aught of which our conscience accuses us.  Strengthen us by thy Holy Spirit to fight the good fight of faith, and grant that no day may pass without its victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Good morning from South Carolina! Cooper River Bridge, Charleston. https://t.co/eKb8pxIt2T

— PC and Company (@PCandCompany2) October 13, 2026

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amit’tai, saying, “Arise, go to Nin’eveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

–Jonah 1:1-3

Blue skies start to the day – Beinn Na Cailleach – Isle of Skye #Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 https://t.co/FGbNaSrZXK

— James MacInnes (@Macinnesplant) October 13, 2026

The consecration of Canon Tim Lomax to be Suffragan Bishop of Warwick, in the diocese of Coventry, which was previously scheduled for 6 November, has been postponed after complaints.

A statement from the diocese, issued on Monday, said that the decision “follows advice that further enquiries should be undertaken following complaints which were received after the announcement.

“It should be stressed that at this early stage no findings have been made and no conclusions have been reached. Sufficient time will now be given for this assessment to be conducted. We are committed to taking seriously the experiences of all those involved, and I want to assure you that all concerned are receiving appropriate support…

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NEW: The consecration of Canon Tim Lomax to be Suffragan Bishop of Warwick (previously scheduled for 6 November) has been postponed after complaints were received after the announcement of his appointment. No findings have been made. https://t.co/U0LPmwikWJ

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) October 12, 2026

Most adults worldwide use social media, and among younger adults, nearly everyone does. Across 97 countries surveyed by Gallup so far in 2026, a median of 81% of adults say they have used some type of social media in the past seven days, rising to 95% among those aged 15 to 29.

Findings from the latest State of the World’s Emotional Health report challenge some assumptions about what that widespread use means for wellbeing. The analysis reveals a modest, complicated relationship that varies by time spent using social media, age and where people live.

With social media so embedded in daily life, the findings are particularly relevant at a time when the world’s emotional health is under considerable strain. Worry, stress, sadness, anger and physical pain all remain well above the levels Gallup measured two decades ago. What is less understood is how much social media is associated with this rise in negative emotions.

For this study, Gallup classifies adults as low use (no use or less than 30 minutes a day), moderate use (30 minutes to less than two hours) or high use (two hours or more). After accounting for factors that can influence wellbeing metrics such as these, moderate use is associated with fewer negative emotions than high use and more positive experiences and higher life evaluations than low use. As with many things in life, moderation appears to yield more optimal wellbeing outcomes.

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As part of the World Health Summit, Gallup has released new data from 97 countries on social media use and wellbeing.Globally, there is no substantial relationship between time spent using social media and wellbeing.This finding is remarkably robust. It is true for youth populations (N=26,700 youth 15-29) and for all ages pooled (94,460 adults 15+). It is true with or without extensive controls for internet use, employment status, physical health, age, gender, country effects, education, income, social support. It is true for linear and quadratic use effects. It is true for heavy use, defined several ways. In fact, in some models no use or light use predicts the worst outcomes, but the effects are always very small.However, associations vary widely across countries. In most countries, there is no effect. In Africa, associations between social media use and wellbeing are insignificant or even positive! In USA, CAN, AUS, ISR, & parts of Europe, social media use predicts negative wellbeing.Effects of social media among the youth are among the worst in the USA, raising interesting questions about differences in content and underlying mental health across youth populations.

— Jonathan T. Rothwell (@jtrothwell) October 12, 2026

During the summer murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, bettors wagered more than $100,000 on the verdict. Since a deadlocked jury forced a mistrial in early September, more than $500,000 in additional bets have been placed on whether the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her children will eventually be convicted.

In Utah, a trial date hasn’t been set yet for Tyler Robinson, who stands accused of killing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at a university event last year. But even before Robinson formally entered a not guilty plea last month, more than $300,000 had been wagered on the outcome. 

In both cases, the bets were available on an offshore platform run by Polymarket. The site also has hosted bets on the federal prosecution of Sean “Diddy” Combs and the government’s current case against ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Prediction markets are raising novel ethical concerns and insider-trading risks on everything from corporate auditing to U.S. military operations. Those headaches are now at the courthouse door, presenting particularly unusual challenges for the justice system.

“When the public treats a courtroom like a casino, due process is susceptible to corruption,” said C. Melissa Owen, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

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Prediction markets are raising insider-trading concerns about jury cases https://t.co/YF4hIoWmlc via @WSJ

— Peter Dugas (@regintel2000) October 12, 2026

Given the lack of evidence of any mass radical ideology of Christian nationalism, then, why does that narrative gain so much traction in today’s discourse? We can point to a few reasons. 

First, as the country has become more progressive in many ways, those who support the idea of a Christian nation are now further from the mainstream and thus look more extreme than they used to even if their views haven’t much changed. 

Second, there is a group of politicians, theologians, and right-wing influencers who really do advocate for radical ideologies that can be reasonably labeled “Christian nationalist” in the most alarming sense of the phrase. It’s easy to confuse those very visible cases with the more moderate expressions we find in population data. 

Third, it’s fair to say that the image of right-wing politics has gotten uglier over the past decade, meaning politically conservative Christianity suffers from guilt by association.

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Racist theocrats do exist in America. But most conservative Christians—even those who want a “Christian nation”—don’t share their beliefs or goals.Sociologist of religion Jesse Smith examines 3 myths about Christian nationalism: https://t.co/xMKPQy6JJ4

— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) October 12, 2026