Here is a taste of Tom Gjelten’s piece at National Public Radio: America, unlike some countries, is not defined by a common ancestry, nor is it tied to an official faith tradition. But it does have a distinct identity and […]
USA Today: Biden should get it done any way he can
Here is a taste of Jill Lawrence’s and Gregg Zoroya’s piece at USA Today: Biden is ready to do big things, both to help America and to revive its reputation in the eyes of the world. He has already commenced to redefine “bipartisanship” as what most […]
Biden Republicans
Are they similar to Reagan Democrats? Here is Will Weissert at the Associated Press: RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jay Copan doesn’t hide his disregard for the modern Republican Party. A solid Republican voter for the past four decades, the 69-year-old […]
Evangelical theologian John Piper’s son is a TikTok sensation
Here is Ruth Graham at The New York Times: Abraham Piper became a sensation on TikTok nearly overnight. He posted his first video in November, and he now has more than 900,000 followers, many of them young people who thank […]
Nikki Haley will not run for president in 2024 if Trump decides to run
Here is Max Greenwood at The Hill: Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Monday that she would not mount a bid for the White House in 2024 should former President Trump decide to run again. “I would not run if […]
“A History of Evangelicals and Politics” podcast is here!
Our patrons-only podcast dropped last night. Subscribers to Current at the Longshore level and above receive this brand new narrative history podcast. In order to encourage folks to sign-up, we have decided to drop the opening episode–Episode 0: Introduction–below. If […]
Eric Metaxas continues to spread an anti-vaxxer message
Pick it up at the 10:00 mark: Here is an article on Dr. Ryan Cole, the doctor Metaxas cites in this video. Also here.
Pro-life Democrats march in defense of the Hyde Amendment
I don’t see many news outlets covering this story. Here is Ryan Foley at The Christian Post: A group of pro-life Democrats and other pro-life activists gathered on Capitol Hill and across the country Saturday to oppose the exclusion of […]
More than half of Republicans still believe Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election
CNN’s Harry Enten reports on the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll: A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds that 55% of Republicans falsely believe Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election was the result of illegal voting or rigging. Additionally, 60% of Republicans incorrectly agree […]
Mike “MyPillow Guy” Lindell’s latest investigation
The My Pillow Guy is now investigating Fox News to find out why the cable network refuses to book him as a guest on its programs. Here is a taste of Richard Luscombe’s piece at The Guardian: Mike Lindell, the […]
Saturday Night Light spoofs the Obama-Springsteen podcast
Watch: Check out Tony Norman’s piece at Current: “Born to Reborn.”
San Francisco school board will not rename schools
Some of you may remember our posts earlier this year about the San Francisco school board’s decision to rename forty-four schools that honor historical figures such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It now appears the board […]
Preserving the Great Dismal Swamp
The Great Dismal Swamp is a massive swamp located along the border of Virginia and North Carolina. George Washington was a shareholder in the Dismal Swamp Company, a venture in land speculation that tried to drain the swamp and turn […]
Brazilian evangelicals oppose church closings
If you have been following the COVID-19 outbreaks in Brazil I think you will find an upcoming Current feature insightful. “How Long,” a piece by Brazilian public intellectual Alexandre Brasil Fonseca, will appear this week. Stay tuned. In the meantime, […]
Some evangelical pastors want their congregations to avoid the “scam-demic” COVID-19 vaccine
We have been keeping eye on the resistance to the COVID-19 vaccine in some conservative evangelical quarters. Here is the lastest: FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — At River West Palm Beach Church, Pastor Corey Erman stood in front of the congregation […]
How Joe Biden is strengthening Obama’s legacy on health care
Last week on Current I drew some connections between Obama and Biden. Today John Harwood of CNN does the same. Here is a taste of his recent piece: With sweeping economic recovery plans, President Joe Biden seeks his own legacy […]
Sunday night odds and ends
A few things online that caught my attention this week: Handwritten letters Loggers and environmentalists Did Biden hit the wrong Georgia? Nancy Isenberg on J.D. Vance How Annette Gordon-Reed uses social media Wheaton College and evangelical missions The most interesting […]
What happens when you watch “The West Wing” during the Biden era?
Damon Linker explains in his column at The Week: The West Wing is what you get if you take the outlook of the most committed Democrats during the two terms of Bill Clinton’s presidency, add an overlay of rhetorical grandiosity derived […]
Do GOP lawmakers REALLY want to vote against Biden’s infrastructure plan?
Ron Brownstein thinks it is a bad political move: With their opposition to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, Republicans are doubling down on a core bet they’ve made for his presidency: that the GOP can maintain support among its key […]
Michelle Cottle offers a “dictionary for these polarized times”
The premise of Cottle’s piece at The New York Times is that Democrats and Republicans no longer speak the same language. Take, for example, the phrase “fake news”: Pre-Trump, most folks thought of fake news as media sources that trafficked […]