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Vanderbilt Health leaders advance a collaborative agenda to engineer the elimination of targeted diseases
Vanderbilt Health leaders are helping advance a national effort to move care upstream: from treating disease after it emerges to preventing, interrupting and ultimately eliminating targeted diseases.
Idaho Sec. of State issues guidance for church political spending
Churches in Idaho now have official guidance on how they can spend money backing – or supporting – ballot initiatives this fall without disclosing their donors.
The Business Of Healthcare Is Oct. 1 Community Chatter Topic
Dr. Eric Fish, President & CEO of Schneck Medical Center, will lead the discussion on the Business of Healthcare when the monthly Community Chatter Series is held at Brownstown Methodist Church from 7-8 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1. The public is cordially invited to attend. Brownstown United Methodist Church is located at 110 N. Poplar […]
Justice Department Sides With Churches in Political Speech Case
The Justice Department told an appeals court it largely agrees with the religious groups suing it over how far churches can wade into politics and still keep their tax-exempt status.
Jiang Feng: The Unravelling of German & European Politics
A state election in eastern Germany has become a revealing test of the changing political landscapes of Germany and Europe, writes Jiang Feng, Professor and Chairman of the Council of the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies (SAGGAS) at Shanghai International Studies University. His analysis follows the decisive victory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) (which has been classified as right-wing extremist by German authorities)in the state of Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September, in which it finished far ahead of its mainstream rivals. Jiang previously served as Minister-Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Berlin. The following article was published on 8 September 2026 on huanqiu.com, the online platform of the Global Times. On 6 September, the results of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, were announced. The Alternative for Germany (AfD), classified as far-right by German authorities, made history by becoming the largest party in the state parliament, winning 43.8 per cent of the vote — twice its share in the previous election. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which had governed the state continuously for 24 years, won just 17.2 per cent, its worst result ever in Saxony-Anhalt. On the night the results were announced, the atmosphere at the CDU gathering was unusually calm. There was neither shock nor argument, as if the defeat had long been expected. Several veteran party members who had spent years working in the state government said: “Defeat is not a bad thing. It is time to make changes.” This state election has not only upended Saxony-Anhalt’s political landscape, but also laid bare the deep tensions between Germany’s traditional party structure and model of governance, on the one hand, and an increasingly polarised society on the other. Its repercussions are already being felt at the federal level, making Saxony-Anhalt a useful case study of the broader trend towards political polarisation and realignment in Europe. Governing Difficulties after Electoral Victory The most immediate consequence of the election is a historic setback for the mainstream party order that took shape in post-war Germany. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD has leapt from a peripheral party to the largest political force in the state. Its electoral base has expanded beyond the traditional category of “marginal protest voters” to take on the characteristics of a cross-class coalition. The party has not only consolidated its support in rural areas, but also attracted many middle-class voters and even members of the social elite with stable jobs, their own homes, and substantial incomes. It has thus evolved from a “protest party” into one with the potential to govern. Despite its commanding lead in the vote, however, the AfD faces an institutional obstacle to governing the state: the mainstream parties’ long-standing “firewall” against it. Neither of the two potential routes to forming a government appears likely to break the current political deadlock. The first would be a coalition of establishment parties, led by the CDU and bringing together the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, the Left Party (Die Linke) and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) in a cross-camp government. In terms of parliamentary arithmetic, such a coalition could prevent the AfD from forming a government and preserve the outward stability of the traditional political order. Yet these parties are fundamentally divided over key issues including immigration, the energy transition, economic management, and cultural and education policy. Coalition negotiations would therefore be extremely difficult, and even if a government could be formed, it would most likely prove short-lived. More importantly, an alliance of establishment parties aimed at keeping the largest party out of government would play directly into the AfD’s narrative that “political elites are suppressing public opinion”. It could deepen perceptions of political unfairness, further strengthening the AfD’s political capital, and creating a dynamic in which “the more it is suppressed, the more people vote for it”. Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s candidate for state premier, has said that if efforts to form a government fail because other parties refuse to cooperate, the AfD will push for a fresh election, which he believes could deliver the party an absolute majority of seats. This points to more intense political battles ahead. The second option would be a coalition between the AfD and the BSW. Together, the two parties would command a simple majority in parliament, making this, on paper, the quickest route to forming a government. The BSW is the only elected party that has not ruled out cooperation with the AfD, and the two parties share some common ground, including on policy towards Russia. There is therefore a degree of political basis for cooperation. Were such a coalition to materialise, Germany would see its first state government jointly formed by a party defined as far-right and one with a far-left background, creating what might be called a “bipolar anti-establishment alliance”. Such an outcome would fundamentally break with the ideological boundaries of post-war German party politics. It is worth noting that even if the AfD ultimately fails to enter the state government, its roughly 47 per cent share of parliamentary seats would give it a powerful blocking minority. Without its consent, major decisions requiring a two-thirds majority — including constitutional amendments, significant budgetary adjustments, and state-level institutional reforms — would be extremely difficult to pass. Therefore, whoever ultimately forms the government, the AfD will be an unavoidable force in Saxony-Anhalt politics, with a direct influence on the state’s legislative process. Systemic Failures in Germany’s Governance Model The Saxony-Anhalt election result reflects a systemic failure of Germany’s post-war mainstream-party model of governance to adapt to rapidly changing socioeconomic conditions. It stems from multiple, mutually reinforcing structural tensions and highlights the existing political system’s difficulty in adapting to “an increasingly polarised society First, collective anxiety has replaced individual material hardship as a central driver of political mobilisation. The rise of the AfD can no longer be explained simply by poverty or social marginalisation. Its increasingly cross-class electoral base suggests that what is driving voters towards the party is, above all, concern about the broader direction of society. This anxiety about the future of the political community goes beyond individual gains and losses. In political discourse, economic anxiety has become closely intertwined with immigration, while immigration and refugee issues are, in essence, questions of social fairness. This perception turns conflicts over the distribution of social resources into negative assessments of governing parties, providing a broad social basis for far-right political narratives. Second, regional disparities and East German identity have undermined the strategy of addressing eastern Germany’s structural challenges at the regional level. More than three decades after German reunification, eastern states such as Saxony-Anhalt have experienced periods of economic growth, but their underlying economic structures remain weak, and household incomes and wealth remain significantly below those in western Germany. At the same time, they continue to face population outflow, an ageing population, labour shortages, and other structural challenges. At a deeper level, historical experiences — including the collapse of the former East German economic system, mass unemployment during the transition, and the westward shift of decision-making power over major issues — have left some residents with a sense of being “second-class citizens” and of being excluded. For years, the German government treated the “syndrome” of reunification as a regional problem to be gradually addressed at the local level. That approach is becoming increasingly unsustainable, as regional development disparities emerge as a core structural factor shaping national politics. Third, the erosion of institutional trust is perhaps the most decisive factor. AfD supporters tend to distrust establishment institutions, including parliament, government, and the mainstream media. Their concerns about economic security, pensions, and social fairness are significantly greater than the social average. Increasingly, their support for the AfD reflects not an expectation that the existing system can be improved, but a search for an alternative to the current political order. Such a systemic deficit of trust will be extremely difficult for the traditional parties to repair in the short term. Fourth, a generational shift in political mobilisation has amplified political polarisation. Unlike traditional parties, which rely heavily on offline rallies and mainstream media coverage, the AfD has developed a social-media mobilisation strategy built around “raising an issue — identifying who is responsible — offering a simplified solution — building a shared identity”. It turns complex social tensions into concise political narratives, rapidly channelling public sentiment into political support. The contrast on the eve of the election was particularly telling. The establishment parties, together with trade unions and churches, organised an offline march attended by more than 10,000 people, but its reach was largely confined to those present and to traditional media coverage. The AfD held a much smaller indoor event, yet livestreaming on TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms, combined with the involvement of online influencers, gave it a reach and mobilising capacity far beyond that of the march. The contrast illustrates how the traditional parties’ methods of political mobilisation are increasingly struggling to keep pace with a political environment transformed by changes in media technology. A Microcosm of Structural Political Change in Europe The shockwaves from the Saxony-Anhalt election quickly travelled beyond the state to the federal level. Calls for political accountability followed immediately after the results were announced. The governing CDU and SPD are now under enormous pressure, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil face an unprecedented test. Political polarisation in Germany is no longer simply a regional phenomenon. The post-war model of multiparty government by establishment parties is breaking down and being reshaped. Viewed in a broader European context, the Saxony-Anhalt election is part of a continent-wide wave of party polarisation, mainstream-party decline, and rising right-wing forces. Far from an isolated phenomenon, it is a microcosm of the structural political changes unfolding across Europe. Weak economic growth, cultural tensions over immigration, and declining trust in institutions are fuelling the rise of right-wing forces in several countries, challenging the liberal internationalist order established in post-war Europe. As a core member state of the European Union, Germany’s ability to adapt its political system and the direction of its politics will have profound implications for both European integration and the evolution of the international order. Subscribe [ Pekingnology China’s Germany watchers take stock of Berlin’s uneasy turn On 7 December 2025, nearly 50 Chinese scholars and policy researchers gathered in Beijing for the 2025年德国形势年终研讨会 “2025 Year-End Seminar on the Situation in Germany… Read more 9 months ago · 31 likes · 1 comment · YIRUI LI and Yuxuan JIA ](https://www.pekingnology.com/p/chinas-germany-watchers-take-stock?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1151841) [ Jiang Feng on Germany's 2025 and beyond: no easy exit ](https://www.eastisread.com/p/jiang-feng-on-germanys-2025-and-beyond) Yirui LI and Yuxuan JIA · Jan 24 The following is an op-ed by Jiang Feng, published on 29 December 2025 at Shanghai Observer 上观新闻, the digital platform of Jiefang Daily, the official newspaper of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). [ Read full story ](https://www.eastisread.com/p/jiang-feng-on-germanys-2025-and-beyond)
Brooklyn Rider Quartet Opens Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series
Brooklyn Rider quartet will perform at St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church in Los Olivos. (Courtesy photo) The first concert of the 2026-27 Santa
Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra Will Perform ‘Mostly Mozart’
The Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra will present “Mostly Mozart” on Sunday, October 4, at 3 PM at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Harwich Port.
Hayden Panettiere memorialized in Malibu celebration of life
Friends, family and close Hollywood colleagues honored Hayden Panettiere during a poignant celebration of life at a Malibu church this weekend, a month after the actress’s death from a possible
Hear Warner, neighbors, at Dolly’s Coffeehouse
Geoff Warner will be the featured performer at Dolly’s Coffeehouse in Fellowship Hall at the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 7-9 p.m.
Roanoke church hosts free community health fair
The Melrose Avenue Seventh-Day Adventist Church hosted a free community health fair. Neighbors connected with local resources and picked up free food and clothes.
Clearwater OKs street handovers for entertainment center
The proposed $50 million entertainment center is backed by the Church of Scientology.
Emma Bonino, Italian politician and activist 1948-2026
Radical campaigner who confronted society’s taboos at a time when the Catholic Church still held political sway
Clearwater approves street handovers for $50 million Scientology-backed entertainment center
The Clearwater City Council voted to move forward with vacating portions of three public rights-of-way for the parking lot of a proposed $50 million entertainment center backed by the Church of Scientology.
Scientology-backed Clearwater entertainment complex clears roadblock
The church requested the city transfer parts of two roads and an alley to build out the $50 million center.
Scientology-backed Clearwater entertainment complex clears roadblock
A Church of Scientology-backed $50 million entertainment center in downtown Clearwater cleared an early hurdle Thursday, after lengthy public comment and City Council debate. In a 3-2 vote Thursday, t...
Clearwater City Council approves street transfers tied to EVO Entertainment Center
After hours of heated debate and public comment, Clearwater City Council voted 3-2 Thursday night to approve another street transfer tied to the Church of Scientology.
Clearwater advances Church of Scientology street vacations request
The Church of Scientology applied for those vacations through its affiliated development entity, Myrtle Development LLC.
CLIVE BARKER'S HELLRAISER: REVIVAL Takes Us To The Scarlet Church With NSFW New Trailer
A hellish new demo for the upcoming horror action video game is now playable.
Dayton Literary Peace Prizes honor wartime Ukraine novel and book on history of Charleston church
The Dayton Literary Peace Prizes have announced this year's winners.
WCC Faith and Science Working Group: rethinking what it means to be human
The Faith and Science Working Group is part of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing. It evaluates modern technological and scientific advancements through theological and ethical lenses, focusing on human dignity, digital justice, and existential risks.
The science behind greener, healthier lawns
A healthy, green lawn can be the envy of any neighborhood, but how does someone cultivate a yard like that? Assistant Professor of Ecosystem Science Amber Churchill has been getting her hands dirty and ...
Dear Abby | Mom doesn't want daughter visiting neighbors
Dear Abby: My next-door neighbors are appropriately friendly, mow their lawn and generally mind their own business. The husband is a leader in a fundamentalist church whose pastor preaches that
16th Street Baptist Church marks bombing anniversary with a new visitor center
Hundreds of people gathered at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, to mark the 63rd anniversary of the 1963 bombing.
Health for Hearts spreads word about importance of prevention
Having a healthy heart is key to brain health. Health for Hearts United is taking this message to Black churches during Alzheimer's Awareness Month.
Scene
This week’s scene is this amusing sign recently spotted at the Wesleyan Church on Union St. in Winchester.
Kelly Pompilio of Alexandria Police Department receives WellCare’s Overall Community Health Champion Award
WellCare of Kentucky honored 12 individuals and organizations at its seventh annual Community Health Champions Awards at Churchill Downs, and a top awared when to Kelly Pompilio of the Alexandria…
B&G Milkyway owners gift location to church
The franchisees of a B&G Milkyway location have gifted their business to their church.
Free health fair set for Sept. 20 in Roanoke
Roanoke church to host community health fair Sept 20.
The Crusades: How a medieval Holy War still shapes politics
In 1095, the Catholic Church launched the Crusades, wars that left millions dead and whose legacy still shapes political and ideological conflicts.
Climate justice gains approval across ELCA synods - Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science and Technology
Sixteen ELCA synods have approved resolutions supporting the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action.
Is Nathan Church the Cardinals’ starting center fielder in 2027?
As Leo Bernal continues to impress and grab a 2027 starting gig, the St. Louis Cardinals are seeing Nathan Church attempt to do the same. While center field did not have the same depth as catcher, Church is looking to take hold of the spot and give the Cardinals some clarity at a position of […]
Usha Back To Winner's Circle In Open Mind
Tiz the Law filly outfooted Look Forward at Churchill Downs to tally her first win in three starts since taking the Winning Colors this spring at the Louisville oval
Emma Bonino, Italian Campaigner for Civil Rights, Dies at 78
In nearly five decades in politics, Ms. Bonino wielded outsize influence on Italian discourse, helping erode the political sway of the Catholic Church.
Fact check: Trump, RFK Jr. and others make false claims on night 2 of GOP convention
(CNN) — President Donald Trump delivered another rapid-fire series of false claims on the second night of Republicans’ midterm convention on Thursday. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did his own barrage of wrongness. And various other speakers uttered statements that were untrue, misleading or missing critical context.Here is a fact check of some of the assertions from the final day of the convention. This is not intended as a comprehensive list of Thursday’s falsehoods.Trump’s many false claimsTrump made numerous false claims, some of which he also made in his longer speech Wednesday.Trump claimed that there were “no empty seats” in the Dallas arena as he spoke Thursday, which was visibly untrue. CNN White House correspondent Alayna Treene, who was there, wrote in a live chat right after Trump made the claim that “I’m looking at rows of empty seats” and that “the idea that there are ‘no empty seats’ is just laughably untrue,” though she also said the room was mostly full. Trump has for years made false claims about supposedly never having had an empty seat.Trump further inflated one of his favorite fictional figures, claiming Thursday that “$22 trillion” in investment has come into the US; on Wednesday, he had put it at “over $20 trillion,” and even that lower figure has no apparent basis in reality. As of the time he spoke Thursday, the White House’s own website claimed there had been “$11.2 trillion” in “major investment announcements” this term, not “over $20 trillion,” and the White House figure was itself a major exaggeration of actual investment.Trump, talking about elections, lied that “there’s never been bigger cheaters” than Democrats; there is no basis for broadly describing Democrats as election cheaters. For the second straight night, Trump falsely claimed that the Biden administration allowed “25 million people” to pour into the country, though that number is nowhere close to correct. Trump again falsely claimed that former President Joe Biden and other Democrats “created the worst inflation in American history,” though even peak Biden-era inflation, 9.1% in June 2022, was far from the all-time record of 23.7%; it was a 40-year high, but the rate then fell sharply before Trump returned to office.Trump also baselessly claimed that Democrats would “defund the police” and give “voting rights and welfare to 25 million illegal aliens” if they won the midterms. Republicans will still control the White House in 2027 and 2028 and the president would be in position to veto any such changes if a Democratic-controlled Congress sought to make them, but there is no indication that Democrats want to do so. Also, even groups favoring strict immigration policies estimate that the total undocumented population is far less than “25 million” or even 20 million.As he did Wednesday, Trump claimed the US now has the world’s lowest prescription drug prices. The assertion is so broad that it is unclear what exactly Trump is referencing. But experts told CNN they highly doubt that the prices for brand-name drugs in the US are generally less than they are in other countries, and the Trump administration has not provided details to prove the claim.“It’s tough to claim that you’re getting the lowest prices anywhere in the world and then also not have any evidence to support that,” said Andrew Mulcahy, a senior health economist at RAND, while Diederik Stadig, senior healthcare economist at financial institution ING, said, “To say that the US now has the lowest drug prices in the world is at this moment not true.”And as he did Wednesday, Trump said “more Americans are working today than ever before” – which is true but nearly meaningless, since the number of people working in the US generally rises over time simply because the population rises over time.“There are more Americans working because there are more Americans. That’s the entire analysis,” Justin Wolfers, a University of Michigan professor of public policy and economics, wrote in his newsletter in August.RFK Jr.’s false claims on the pandemic, Trump’s record and moreFalse claim about Democrats and the 2024 electionKennedy unsuccessfully ran for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination before withdrawing to run as an independent and then eventually endorsing Republican candidate Donald Trump. In Kennedy’s Thursday convention speech, he complained of how the Democrats handled the nomination race.At one point, he said, “For the first time in history, they cancelled their own convention. No voter ever cast a primary ballot for Kamala Harris, no elected delegate was ever consulted; the party of ‘No Kings’ simply anointed a queen.”Kennedy is entitled to express unhappiness about how quickly Democratic leaders coalesced around then-Vice President Harris after Biden unexpectedly dropped out of the race in July 2024, after the primaries were over and less than four months from Election Day. But it’s not true that the party canceled its convention or that delegates didn’t get any say.The convention was held; it was a four-day event in Chicago in August 2024. Democratic convention delegates officially nominated Harris in a virtual roll call vote in advance of the convention. It’s true that Harris was the only candidate on the roll call ballot, but that’s because she was the only candidate who gathered enough delegate signatures to appear on the ballot.It’s clear that party elites’ backing of Harris played a key role in the unusual nomination process. But Kennedy’s specific allegations that the convention was abandoned and delegates were cut out of the process are not true.False claim that Democrats closed ‘every church’ during the Covid-19 pandemicWhile attacking Democrats, Kennedy claimed that, during the Covid-19 pandemic, “They closed every church in our country for a year.”It’s not true that every church in the country was closed for a year, nor even that every church in a Democratic state was closed for a year.Every state issued some type of guidance or order about social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic, but many states – including some led by Democrats and some led by Republicans – incorporated religious exemptions into those limitations on social interactions.According to a Pew Research Center analysis from April 2020, 15 states allowed religious gatherings to continue without a limit on their size. That set of states included Colorado, Michigan and Pennsylvania, which all had Democratic governors. And at least two states with Republican governors, Alaska and Idaho, were among the states that prohibited religious gatherings at least briefly.False claim that Trump ‘ended nine wars’Trump has repeatedly claimed that he has ended “eight wars.” Kennedy went one higher on Thursday, declaring, “President Trump has ended nine wars.”That’s false. Trump hasn’t even ended eight wars.Trump’s list of eight includes two situations that were never actually wars during his tenure: a diplomatic dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia and a mysterious supposed situation between Serbia and Kosovo. The list also includes a war, involving Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, that hasn’t actually ended despite a peace agreement brokered by the Trump administration.In addition, the list includes the war between Israel and Hamas, but Israel continues to conduct frequent attacks in Gaza despite a US-brokered ceasefire agreement. And it includes the brief 2025 conflict between Israel and Iran, though Israel proceeded to join the US in starting another war against Iran in 2026.Claim about reversing a decline in longevityKennedy speaking of the Trump administration, claimed Thursday: “We have now reversed a 30-year decline in longevity. “Kennedy referenced preliminary data that he said he had received from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week, but it’s unclear what metric of longevity he’s referring to.CDC data shows that US life expectancy had been steadily increasing for decades before a sharp drop during the Covid-19 pandemic. Life expectancy had already started to rebound in 2022, under the Biden administration, and reached a new record high in 2024 before Trump’s second term began.Preliminary data shared by the CDC in July suggests that life expectancy probably hit another record high in 2025.CNN has reached out to HHS for clarification on Kennedy’s comments.Claim that Democrats ‘lost 360,000 children’Speaking about Democrats, Kennedy said: “They somehow lost 360,000 children and they turned our federal government into the biggest child trafficking operation in world history.”Trump and other Republicans have made similar claims. But there’s no basis for the assertion that Democrats “lost” so many children or that the federal government was engaged in human trafficking.A 2024 report from the inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement had reported that more than 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children failed to appear as scheduled for immigration court hearings after being released or transferred out of custody between fiscal years 2019 and 2023 – a period that, notably, includes two years and four months under the first Trump administration. The report also said that 291,000 unaccompanied migrant children during this period were not given notices to appear in court.The report said that ICE had “no assurances” these children “are safe from trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor.” But it did not say all the children were actually “lost” and did not definitively assert that any of them were trafficked – let alone that the government was somehow involved in a trafficking operation. And, again, the report spanned parts of both a Republican administration and a Democratic administration.Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, told CNN in 2024: “Long story short, no, there are not 320,000 kids missing. 32,000 kids missed court. That doesn’t mean they’re missing, it means they missed court (either because their sponsor didn’t bring them or they are teenagers who didn’t want to show up). The remaining 291,000 cases mentioned by the (Office of the Inspector General) are cases where ICE hasn’t filed the paperwork to start their immigration court cases.”Vance on inflation, crime and taxes on Social SecurityA false claim about the media and Biden-era inflationVice President JD Vance mocked the media during part of his speech on Thursday. But he made a false claim about Biden-era inflation while lampooning how the media supposedly challenged him over another false claim on that subject.Vance said: “The president and I would go during a campaign, we’d say, ‘You know, inflation is as high as it’s been in 100 years,’ and the fake news would say, ‘No, no, no, it’s as high as it’s been in 68 years.’ That ain’t good, ladies and gentlemen.”Mainstream journalists, at least, wouldn’t say that inflation under Biden was as high as it had been “in 68 years.” Rather, CNN and others noted that peak inflation under the Biden administration, 9.1% in June 2022, was the highest in about 40 years.Vance is entitled to make his general point that this correction still doesn’t make Biden-era inflation sound good, but his specific number was, again, wrong. And he didn’t acknowledge that inflation fell sharply under Biden after hitting the 40-year high, declining to 2.9% in Biden’s last full month in office, December 2024, and 3.0% in January 2025, when Trump and Vance were inaugurated.The rate was 3.4% in July 2026, the most recent month for which data is available.Trump didn’t end taxes on Social SecurityVance claimed, “We’ve ended taxes on Social Security.” Several other convention speakers, including Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania and Ohio House candidate Derek Merrin, similarly said the administration has achieved “no tax on Social Security.”It hasn’t. The big domestic policy bill Trump signed in 2025 did create an additional, temporary $6,000-per-year tax deduction for individuals age 65 and older (which phases out for individuals earning $75,000 per year or more), but as the White House has implicitly acknowledged, millions of Social Security recipients will continue to pay taxes on their benefits even before the temporary new deduction expires after 2028.The Social Security Administration said in 2025 that “the bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits.Claim about violent crime rate under BidenWhile criticizing the Biden administration, Vice President JD Vance claimed Thursday that the US “became a country where violent crime exploded, unless, of course, you could afford private security.”But violent crime did not explode under Biden. In fact, as FactCheck.org reported last month, data collected and published by the FBI shows that the national violent crime rate was at a lower level in 2023 and 2024, the last two full calendar years of Biden’s term, than it was in 2020, the last full calendar year of Trump’s first term. The year 2020 was highly unusual in many ways – violent crime jumped amid the Covid-19 pandemic – but Biden nonetheless left office with violent crime lower than it was when he took over. In fact, the 2024 violent crime rate was even lower than the 2019 rate under Trump before the pandemic.There was an increase in violent crime during the earlier part of Biden’s term. But given the subsequent decline, it’s misleading at best to claim violent crime “exploded” with no further context.Asked earlier this month about Trump’s similar previous claims to have reversed a Biden-era upswing in violence, crime data expert Jeff Asher said in an email: “No, crime began dropping significantly in 2023 during the Biden administration. Murder fell at record rates in 2023, 2024 and 2025 and, while 2026 may not feature a record decline nationally, it is still on track to see a sizable double-digit decline this year. Violent crime similarly fell nationally in 2023 and 2024, though the drops were more muted than the decline that was recorded by the FBI in 2025.”Other GOP speakersMike Johnson’s false claim about the inflation Republicans inherited from BidenSome other speakers at the convention took aim at inflation under Biden. House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed that “Republicans inherited from the Biden administration record-high inflation.”That’s not true. The inflation rate was 2.9% in Biden’s last full month in office, December 2024, and 3.0% in January 2025, when Trump took over. That’s lower than the most recent rate, 3.4% in July 2026, and nowhere close to the all-time record of 23.7%, which was reached in 1920, or the highest point of Jimmy Carter’s presidency, 14.8%, which was reached in 1980.Johnson correctly said moments later that inflation reached “a 40-year high of 9.1% inflation” under Biden. But a 40-year high is not an all-time record. More importantly, Johnson didn’t explain that 9.1% was much higher than the rate Trump inherited or that the 9.1% rate occurred in June 2022, with roughly two-and-a-half years left in Biden’s term.The cumulative increase in prices from the beginning of the Biden administration to the end was also not the highest in US history. Federal figures show that beginning-to-end inflation under Biden was less than half of that during Carter’s term.What Johnson left out of his claim about a congressional resolutionWhile attacking Democrats as extreme, Johnson said: “Just last week, nearly every Democrat in the House of Representatives voted against condemning socialism and Marxism. They voted against it.”But the resolution didn’t use the word “Marxism.” And Johnson didn’t mention that the resolution wasn’t only about condemning socialism. Rather, it contained other language that Democratic leadership said was the focus of the party’s opposition to the resolution.The resolution’s first provision said it “condemns and denounces socialism in all its forms, including the Democratic Socialists of America, and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States.” But its fifth provision said it “calls for enactment of the SAVE America Act,” Trump’s favored elections bill, which contains various provisions opposed by many Democrats.So while it’s very possible many Democrats would have opposed the resolution even without its expression of support for the SAVE America Act, the call to pass this elections bill served as a poison pill that ensured most Democrats wouldn’t support it.“House Resolution 1490 explicitly calls for enactment of the so-called SAVE America Act, which is the top legislative priority of far-right extremists,” Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement last week.A New Mexico candidate left out key context in an attack on his opponentGreg Cunningham, a Republican House candidate in New Mexico, used some of his Thursday speech to criticize his Democratic opponent, Rep. Gabe Vasquez. Cunningham said of Vasquez: “He even voted against a resolution honoring the sacrifices and service of the brave men and women in law enforcement who protect, every day, our communities.”But Cunningham left out important context about the resolution. While its focus was expressing support for law enforcement, its preamble contained statements praising the Trump administration and criticizing “leftist activists,” “progressive politicians” and “sanctuary city policies” for allegedly making law enforcement less safe.In other words, a House member might vote against such a resolution, as the vast majority of Democrats did, because they disagreed with conservative components of it, not the general expressions of support for law enforcement. (CNN has reached out to Vasquez’s campaign and House office for comment on his vote.) It’s common for parties to write resolutions in a way that would make it difficult for opponents to support but would open those opponents to campaign attacks if they voted “no.”An Ohio candidate’s misleading attack about Democrats and votingMerrin, the Republican candidate running against Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur for a House seat in Ohio, claimed in his speech, “While Democrats talk about letting illegal immigrants vote in our election, Republicans fight for proof of citizenship, photo ID and fair elections.”It’s a big country, so it’s possible some Democrat somewhere is talking about letting undocumented people vote in some election. But Merrin’s claim is misleading at best. There is no proposal from Democrats in Congress to let undocumented people vote in the 2026 midterms – the election Merrin appeared to be referring to when he said “our election” – or vote in future federal elections.CNN has reached out to Merrin’s campaign for an explanation of his claim.House Majority Leader Steve Scalise invoked a similar theme in his speech Wednesday, claiming that Democrats had voted last week “to allow illegals to vote in our federal elections.” But there was no congressional vote on letting undocumented immigrants vote in any elections.Rather, there was a vote on the non-binding Republican resolution that included multiple provisions, including one that “reiterates the notion that American elections are for American citizens only,” one supporting Trump’s favored elections bill and one denouncing socialism.Opposing that multi-clause resolution doesn’t necessarily mean someone supports voting by any non-citizens, let alone non-citizens in the country illegally.This article has been updated with additional items.CNN’s Deja Oliver contributed to this report.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Voters to decide whether places of worship should stay open
The constitutional amendment stems from criticism over Wisconsin's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Richford man charged with swiping nearly $1,400 in merchandise from Church Street business
Burlington Police say Tanner Hart, 32, tried to run away from officers and resisted arrest.
WellCare of Kentucky recognizes 2026 Community Health Champions
/PRNewswire/ -- WellCare of Kentucky honored 12 individuals and organizations at its seventh annual Community Health Champions Awards at Churchill Downs. The...
Politics, The Vote And The Black Church - The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint
Today, the Black Church is a key stop on the agenda of every political candidate seeking a sure vote. This is why so many of them race to the church to be seen and smiled at, the Sunday before every election.
Church-focused agency rebrands from KingsCover
The agency has saved clients more than $3 million since launching less than a year ago
What’s new in theaters this weekend?
The return of witchy sisters, a church group hunted by spiders, CIA operators in Tehran, a new rock doc and more hit theaters this weekend.
Haywood Choral Society welcomes new singers for fall season
Rehearsals for the fall season of the Haywood Choral Society will begin on Monday, Sept. 14, at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, 566 S. Haywood St.
Northrop Grumman lands defense contracts worth $1.37B
Falls Church-based defense supplier Northrop Grumman landed two major military contracts collectively worth $1.37 billion.
Artist creates pop art paintings for charity
Quiet conversation intermixed with smooth jazz piano at Asbury United Methodist Church on Friday evening, the old sanctuary providing shelter from the pounding rain for the art enthusiasts gathered within.
Cleveland Armenian Festival returns to Richmond Heights this weekend
St. Gregory of Narek Armenian Church hosts the annual event Friday evening and all day Saturday.
This Lafayette artist turns mud into the places people never want to forget
Over the years, Kai Drobish has has created items representing a lighthouse in Australia, a castle in Cuba, churches in Spain and Italy, hospitals in the United Kingdom, country houses in England and Scotland and a château in France.
FaithCare Global Missions Conference and Banquet to Bring Healthcare and Mission Communities Together
On the heels of a successful medical mission trip that reached 1,727 patients in Nigeria, FaithCare will unite healthcare professionals, students, missionaries, churches, and community members for its annual conference and banquet in Berks County.
'Down to a science': Labor Day barbecue goes off without a hitch
WHATELY — Strolling through the Whately Congregational Church’s parking lot around noon on Monday brought to life the unmistakable aroma of boiled corn. But this was just a hint of what was going on inside. Parishioners once again rolled up their sleeves on Labor Day to dole out purchased meals of a barbecued half-chicken, fresh […]
Skillet’s John Cooper claims he endured ‘brutal’ abuse from church of 30 years, depression that inspired ‘After the Storm’
Skillet frontman John Cooper has shared how a painful split from the church he served for nearly 30 years plunged him into one of the darkest periods of his life, triggering depression, anger,
Former US congresswoman criticizes political and church leaders over Gaza
Marjorie Taylor Greene warns of divine judgment for those silent over mass child casualties | Anadolu
Church donates $1.2 million to UNICEF for maternal and newborn health in Pakistan
‘Each mother and child has great worth and infinite potential,’ says Relief Society general president
Church's mental health centre conversion rejected
Planners say there is no proven need for the scheme and it would harm a historic listed building.
Dresses For Pink hosts health fair
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Caroline Cotter concert to benefit Dolly Fisher Fund
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Caroline Cotter will perform a special concert at the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill on Sunday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m. to raise money for the church’s
Local business replaces wheelchair ramp after stolen from Woonsocket church
A local business replaced the wheelchair ramp at aWoonsocket church after it was stolen last month.
DCC hosts flute ensemble
The monthly free midday concerts at Davis Community Church on the second Friday of the month continue with a flute quartet at noon Friday, Sept. 11. Davis Community Church is
Humanists’ Sunday Science to discuss wolves Sept. 6
“The Truth About Wolves” is the title of the Central Colorado Humanists Sunday Science program, which will start at 10 a.m. Sept. 6 at A Church, 419 D St.
Cabot man accused of stealing $46K in property from Worcester business
The Vermont State Police say Jeremy Churchill, 46, broke into a commercial property.
No Democrat has won a Kansas Senate seat in a century. Can a megachurch pastor change that?
Adam Hamilton has spent decades trying to bring people to Jesus as founder of the nation’s largest United Methodist church. Now he wants to bring Kansas voters to the polls as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.
Mediterranean Festival in New Hartford Back for 15th Year
The St. George Orthodox Church Mediterranean Festival is returning for its 15th year with food, music and community activities.
Nicolas Cage is the martini-drinking spy who inspired James Bond in cheeky “Fortitude” trailer
The action comedy also stars Matthew Goode, Ed Skrein, Ben Kingsley, and an unrecognizable Michael Sheen as Winston Churchill.
Maybee church festival to offer food, music and family fun
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Religion, power and politics: what’s behind the violent attacks on Ethiopia’s Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Managing religious affairs in Ethiopia is crucial for national cohesion and broader peacebuilding processes.
South Korea court finds Unification Church leader Han guilty
A South Korean court on Monday found Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja guilty in a case concerning political funds law violations and bribery tied to alleged efforts to cultivate influence with former President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration.
You are Invited to Health on the Line: Our Bodies, Plastics and Data Centers
The Iowa Conference Board of Church and Society is committed to connecting our faith with key social issues impacting our communities and God’s ...
Burns UMC receives GCORR grant to advance community mental health initiative
Burns United Methodist Church in Des Moines, IA, received a General Commission on Religion and Race Action Fund grant for its new initiative, Sacred ...
Arvest Foundation Awards $4K Grant to Jonesboro Church Health Center
The grant will be used to fund the organization’s mission of providing low-cost, high-quality medical care to low-income and uninsured individuals.
St. Petersburg resident gives back through junk removal business
“My goal is to partner with local churches, charities and community organizations to help find new homes for items such as furniture, household goods and appliances whenever possible,” Omar Malic said.
Clearwater to vote on Scientology-backed entertainment center next month
The Clearwater City Council next month is expected to vote on requests from the Church of Scientology to take over two streets and an alleyway for a proposed $50 million entertainment complex. But Cou...
1,700-year-old church discovered under a lake in Turkey may be the location of the First Council of Nicaea
A small church discovered beneath a larger one may have hosted one of the most important meetings in the history of Christianity, but some scholars not involved with the excavation disagree.
Balm in Gilead hosts free health forum at local church to educate folks about lung cancer
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Freed American missionary ‘in good health’ after captivity in Niger
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Family Fun Day returns Sept. 19 with free food, entertainment and activities
A longtime community tradition will return next month as the Sciotoville Church of the Nazarene and Potter’s House Ministries host their 17th annual Family Fun Day on Sept. 19.
New program trains churches, congregants to assist with mental health needs
Grown from stalled 2024 legislation, the mental health certification program has trained more than 100 people in 60+ churches,
One Year In, Pope Leo XIV Reveals Political Divides Among U.S. Catholics
In his first year as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV has taken clear stances on many issues, including the U.S. immigration system and the war in Iran.
James Talarico Said He Wouldn’t Accept Any Endorsements From the Pulpit. He Just Did.
The Democratic nominee for Senate has decried such political engagement from pastors, saying that the church-state boundary is “sacred.”
Northside Christian Church in West Point hosted their annual Health Fair
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Troy musician nominated for 6 Josie Music Awards
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Church protesters could face tougher penalties under rare bipartisan crackdown
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Christ the Good Shepherd to hold Parish Festival
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Funny Signs July 2026: Bathroom, Road, Church Signs, And More
"Register and vote because I am sick of stupid."
Horse racing's Triple Crown may be dead
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Democrats' future is on the line as El-Sayed and Stevens make final push in Michigan primary
The Democrats running for U.S. Senate in Michigan spent one of their final days campaigning in Detroit-area churches and union halls.
Stevens knocks down Detroit parishioner's Muslim comment about El-Sayed
The Oakland County congressman immediately distanced herself from a Detroit church goer's comment about Abdul El-Sayed's Muslim faith.
Democrat U.S. senate candidate Stevens campaigns at Detroit church
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Religious ‘homecoming’ of sorts brings pork and politicians to Fancy Farm
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Los Alamos Faith & Science Forum Aug. 5 Features ‘Searching For The Origin Of Goodness’ By Dr. John Ambrosiano
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Whitehaven Community Health Fair brings health resources to residents
The Westwood and Whitehaven community had access to a variety of healthy resources thanks to a local church on Saturday.
Community around Summit View Business Park concerned over potential data center
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Annual Polish Festival in New York Mills
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A look at new construction projects and property deals in Ascension Parish
Ascension Parish recently announced new construction projects, property transactions and upcoming business events, Ascension Business Report writes. The parish issued permits for two major projects, including a $3 million, 10,483-square-foot building at The Church International on La. 42 in Prairieville, with Living Solutions Construction as the contractor, and a $400,000, 11,840-square-foot pre-engineered mixed-use metal building […]
Back-to-school events offer free supplies, health screenings this weekend
Organizations across Dallas-Fort Worth, including Arlington, Dallas, and Mansfield, are hosting back-to-school events this Saturday offering free backpacks, school supplies, shoes, haircuts, and health screenings.
AI Will Make Our Politics Even More Emotional
Politics has always been about emotions as well as reason and self-interest. Great politicians such as Winston Churchill have been able to stir our most profound feelings. Great political moments such as Nelson Mandela’s walk to freedom from Robben Island have moved people to their core.
Can U.S. Catholicism become Trump’s political religion?
An analysis by Appia Institute’s Marcello Neri argues that the battle over the future of American Catholicism is increasingly intertwined with Donald Trump’s political project—and with competing visions of the Church’s global role
Science and Scripture both reject racist church doctrine
A former church member reflects on science, religious racism, diversity, melanin and why faith should reject prejudice in favor of truth, dignity and inclusion.
What’s being built, bought and planned in Ascension Parish
Here are the latest property transactions, issued permits and upcoming business-related events in Ascension Parish. Issued permits New construction for a 10,483-square-foot building at The Church International on La. 42 in Prairieville. The project is valued at $3 million, with Living Solutions Construction as the listed contractor. New construction permit for an 11,840-square-foot PEMB mixed-use […]
‘Blessed’: Frederick Haynes, pastor and candidate, on his politics, faith and health
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Churchill: Does New York care about your health and happiness?
Has the state's rapid expansion of legalized gambling options been good for overall societal health? What about legalized recreational cannabis?
Free Press Opinion: Where politics are concerned, churches should keep first things first
If the mission of a Christian church is to proclaim the lordship of Jesus Christ and ask those who would follow him to lead a similar life, why would it use part of its primary Sunday service to promote political candidates the leader of the church believes should be elected?
Legal fight over churches endorsing candidates renewed as midterms near
The so-called Johnson Amendment has long barred houses of worship from direct involvement in politics. But an ongoing legal fight could change that.