Among Donald Trump’s surprising nominees for his next administration is Tulsi Gabbard, his pick for director of national intelligence. Her lifelong links with a politically active Hindu “cult” raise new questions about a nominee already under fire from both Republicans…
Mass deportations will devastate the economy, business leaders warn
The mass deportation of immigrants promised by Donald Trump would have immediate and disastrous effects on the U.S. economy, Bob Worsley said during a virtual press briefing hosted by American Business Immigration Coalition. The former Republican state senator in Arizona…
Stella Immanuel is campaigning to join RFK Jr.’s team at HHS
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. isn’t the only anti-vaxxer potentially headed to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if President-elect Donald Trump gets his way. He could be bringing with him one of the most notorious anti-science doctors of…
Ryan Walters orders all Oklahoma schoolchildren to pray for Trump
In Oklahoma, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is at it again. The man who has made controversial statements about Black history, who promotes a Christian nationalist agenda for curriculum and who demands teachers have Bibles in their classrooms…
Did Trump voters know what they were getting? Pew surveys say yes
With every announcement of a cabinet-level nomination that seems more shocking than the last, Americans who are not on the Trump train are struggling to understand how many of the president-elect’s actions will be agreeable to his base and whether…
As White House chief of staff, Andy Card sought to model optimism
Andy Card, the second longest-serving White House chief of staff in American history, sees one word in the U.S. Constitution as most important. “We live in a great country, and the most important word in our Constitution happens to be…
Rising secularism isn’t good for democracy, scholar explains
Many Americans believe increased secularization will minimize religious and political tensions, simmer the culture wars and reduce threats to democracy, author and political scientist John Compton said. Some mainstream commentators argue the continuing move away from religious belief and belonging…
‘Pro-family’ groups like Trump’s controversial nominees to cabinet
In the week since Donald Trump’s election victory, he has announced a number of key appointments — some of them highly controversial — that will shape his administration in a way that pleases “pro-family” evangelical groups. In theory, that will…
First Baptist Dallas fire was not arson
Arson was not the cause of the July blaze that gutted the historic sanctuary of First Baptist Church of Dallas. A Nov. 13 message to the church from Executive Pastor Ben Lovvorn says: “The on-site portion of the investigation is…
Court strikes down Louisiana Ten Commandments law
A Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments be posted in every public classroom is “unconstitutional on its face” and may not go into effect Jan. 1 as state officials hoped, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge John W….
Heritage Foundation’s antisemitism effort ignores Jewish groups
When the Heritage Foundation announced its new Project Esther, including a National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, last November, it promised a “new coalition of Jewish, Christian and conservative nonprofits.” But the effort has been hampered by a host of…
Author calls Christians to the ‘courageous middle’
An alternative to the political and religious polarization engulfing the nation can be found in the “courageous middle,” author Shirley Mullen said during a recent webinar hosted by Equal Justice USA. It’s a healing middle ground where bold fellowship and…