The Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting will consider resolutions advocating for legal bans on pornography and same-sex marriage, reflecting biblically-based views on gender, marriage, and family. Further resolutions call for restrictions on sports betting and policies promoting childbearing. Internal debates include a potential ban on churches with women pastors and calls to defund the denomination’s public policy arm due to its stance on abortion. These discussions occur against a backdrop of the convention’s conservative shift and increasing alignment with a Christian nationalist agenda within the political landscape.
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Following his arrest and injury during an ICE raid while serving as a community observer, labor leader David Huerta faced charges of impeding an officer. His arrest sparked widespread protests and demands for his release from major US labor unions, including the AFL-CIO and SEIU. These unions condemned the ICE raids and the alleged use of excessive force, framing Huerta’s case as a broader fight against injustice targeting immigrant communities and workers’ rights. The demonstrations, held across numerous US cities, also called for an end to the deployment of the National Guard to quell protests.
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Escalating tensions between California and the Trump administration have led to a potential conflict over tax funding. California Governor Newsom threatened to withhold the state’s substantial tax contributions to the federal government—approximately $83 billion more than it receives in return—in response to potential federal funding cuts to the state’s university system. Treasury Secretary Bessent countered, accusing Newsom of threatening criminal tax evasion and suggesting California adopt Trump-era tax cuts. This “donor state” dynamic highlights the significant financial disparity between states’ tax contributions and federal funding received.
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging the federalization of 2,000 California National Guard members was unlawful and an overreach of presidential authority. Bonta argues the deployment was unnecessary, as protests had subsided before the action, and that it diverted crucial resources from wildfire preparedness. The suit seeks a court order to halt the deployment, claiming the president abused his power for political gain and infringed upon the governor’s authority. The White House countered that the deployment was necessary to quell unrest, while Governor Newsom accused Trump of manufacturing a crisis for political purposes.
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President Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles, overriding Governor Newsom’s objections, in response to anti-ICE protests. This action, condemned by both Newsom and Mayor Bass as inflammatory and escalatory, saw troops stationed near a federal complex where undocumented immigrants were being detained by masked federal agents. The deployment, the first of its kind in decades without gubernatorial consent, followed several days of controversial ICE raids resulting in injuries and arrests of protesters, including a union leader. The situation is characterized by accusations of excessive force, illegal detentions, and the deliberate provocation of unrest.
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Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov asserted that the Ukraine conflict necessitates NATO’s withdrawal from the Baltics for resolution, marking a shift in the Kremlin’s stance. He contends NATO’s eastward expansion is a fundamental cause of the war, echoing previous Kremlin demands for a halt to Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. Ryabkov’s statement suggests a condition for de-escalation, impacting ongoing negotiations and the future of the conflict. The Kremlin’s position underscores the complex geopolitical dynamics influencing the war’s trajectory.
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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the dismissal of all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), citing a need to restore public confidence in vaccine science. This action, criticized as potentially undermining vaccination efforts, follows Kennedy’s previous decisions to halt COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for certain groups and cancel pandemic vaccine research programs. While Kennedy claims the ACIP was plagued by conflicts of interest, no such issues have been publicly documented. The ACIP will still convene its scheduled meeting, though the long-term implications of this restructuring remain to be seen.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada’s commitment to achieving the NATO two percent GDP defence spending target by March, citing the end of U.S. global dominance and a need for Canada to chart its own course. This involves a new defence industrial strategy focused on domestic production, modernizing the military with new equipment and personnel raises, and integrating the Canadian Coast Guard into the Department of National Defence. The increased spending, estimated at $18-20 billion, aims to bolster Canada’s sovereignty and will include Canada signing onto NATO’s defence industrial pledge. This marks a significant shift in Canadian defence policy, addressing previous criticism for failing to meet NATO targets.
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Following public outcry and a Guardian exposé revealing misconduct, the University of Michigan terminated its contract with City Shield, a private security firm, for undercover surveillance of pro-Palestinian student groups. The university president acknowledged the investigators’ actions violated university values and directives, stating that no one should be targeted for their beliefs. At least $800,000 was paid to City Shield between June 2023 and September 2024, with some evidence collected used to charge and jail students. While the university president claims no targeting occurred, critics argue the surveillance solely focused on pro-Palestinian activists.
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Following SpaceX’s Starship launch on May 27th, debris from the test flight has begun washing ashore on Bagdad Beach in Mexico. Mexican officials are collecting the debris, including large pieces described as truck-sized, as evidence for a potential lawsuit against the U.S. and SpaceX for environmental damages. A formal complaint will be filed with federal authorities, initiating an investigation into the debris’s origin and potential hazards. The Tamaulipas state government is leading the response and evidence collection efforts.
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John Q. Hosedrinker